Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Able Seaman W. J. Cracknell, Royal Navy, who was killed in action during Operation Accolade - the British Occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, when H.M.S. Dulverton was bombed and sunk by German aircraft from Kos, 13 November 1943

1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. I. M. Anderson, 3502, 43rd. Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada’, extremely fine (4) £140-180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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William John Cracknell served during the Second World War in the destroyer H.M.S. Dulverton, and took part in Operation Accolade, the British Occupation of the Dodecanese Islands. Improvise and Dare, by J. S. Guarel, gives the following account: ‘German landing began at Leros on 12 November 1943, with the British Garrison on Leros coming under sustained and heavy attack. Royal Navy patrols searched the area looking for an invasion convoy aided by Wellingtons of the Royal Air Force. By the end of the day one hundred and thirty five Stuka raids had been made on the garrison, and allied moral began to sag. On the morning of 13 November attempts were made to carry out a shore bombardment by Hunt Class destroyers H.M.S. Echo, Belvoir, and Dulverton. During this action Dulverton was hit by a glider bomb, which resulted in her bows being blown off. Echo and Belvoir rescued 120 men, before Dulverton finally sank. The garrison at Leros finally surrendered at 5:30 p.m. on 16 November.

Three Officers and 75 crew were killed in the sinking of H.M.S. Dulverton, including Cracknell, aged 35. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Medals issued to the recipient’s sister.