Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Petty Officer E. R. Ford, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Lapwing, as part of Murmansk Convoy JW-65, was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-968 off Kola Inlet in the Barents Sea, 20 March 1945

British War and Victory Medals (J.51232 E. R. Ford. Ord. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star, 1 clasp, Atlantic; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, the Second War awards in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. F. E. Ford, 42 Livingstone Road, Southall, Middlesex’, good very fine and better (5) £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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Edward Robert Ford was born in Lambeth, London, on 25 July 1900, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 1 February 1916. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. King Alfred, and was advanced Ordinary Seaman on 25 January 1918; Able Seaman on 1 November 1918; and Leading Seaman on 2 September 1921. Post War he served in a variety of vessels and shore establishments and on 3 January 1927 was advanced to Petty Officer whereupon he joined the battleship H.M.S. Rodney.

He remained a Petty Officer during the Second World War, and at the time of his death was serving in H.M.S. Lapwing. In March 1945 Lapwing was assigned as part of a 22-ship escort group to the 26-ship convoy JW-65, sailing from the Clyde to Murmansk. On the afternoon of 20 March 1945, whilst off Kola Inlet in the Barents Sea, the convoy was attacked by the German U-boat U-968, commanded by Otto Westphelen. H.M.S. Lapwing was hit amidships at 1:25 p.m. and sank 20 minutes later. Only 61 crew members survived, with 158 Officers and crew going down with the ship. Ford was one of those killed, aged 44. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.