Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Lieutenant R. Hardman, Royal Naval Reserve, whose highly varied service during the Second War spanned the sinking of H.M.S. Wren in 1940, convoy escort duty, destroyer action in the Arctic, and submarine patrols in the Pacific, for which he was twice Mentioned in Despatches

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star, 1 clasp, Burma; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, with Admiralty enclosure, in named card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. R. S. Hardman, c/o 34 Oakhill Court, Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15’, about extremely fine (4) £180-£220

Ronald Stewart Hardman was born at Edinburgh in 1920 and undertook his nautical education at the training ship H.M.S. Conway. He was appointed probationary Midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1937 and promoted Acting Sub-Lieutenant in November 1940. At the outbreak of the Second World War he was undergoing training in the cruiser H.M.S. Sheffield, from which he joined the destroyer H.M.S. Wren, employed on convoy defence duties in the North Sea and Western Approaches (and also detached for service in the Norwegian campaign). On 27 July 1940 she was deployed with another destroyer to provide Anti-Aircraft protection during minesweeping operations by six trawlers off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. The ships came under heavy and sustained dive bombing by 15 aircraft; Wren put up a strong fight but was damaged by several near misses which holed her below the waterline causing extensive flooding. She sank quickly with the loss of her captain and 36 of her crew; Midshipman Hardman was one of four surviving officers.

On recovering from this ordeal, Hardman spent the next 18 months in the destroyers H.M.S. Worcester and Blencathra, on similar patrol and convoy escort duties in the North Sea and English Channel. In April 1942 he joined another destroyer, H.M.S. Onslaught, whose first task on commissioning was to provide distant cover for the disastrous PQ17 convoy to North Russia. In August she undertook a further voyage to Murmansk and on the return trip was detached with two other destroyers (H.M.S. Martin and Marne) to intercept the German minelayer Ulm. Detecting the enemy despite low visibility, Onslaught and Marne quickly closed the range and opened fire with their main armament and later with pom-pom which effectively destroyed Ulm’s bridge and radio office. After a short engagement, in which Marne received a hit aft, the minelayer was sunk by a torpedo from Onslaught. Commander W. H. Selby, the captain of Onslaught, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this action, and for his part Sub-Lieutenant Hardman received his first Mention in Despatches (London Gazette 9 February 1943), the recommendation stating:
‘As navigating officer his accurate reckoning produced excellent results as the enemy ship was heading between Onslaught and Marne. As torpedo control officer he was slow in appreciating the loss of the enemy’s speed but made no mistake with his second attack.’

Hardman remained with Onslaught until April the following year, in which time she participated in a further seven Arctic convoys, two of which - PQ18 and JW52 - were particularly hard fought. He then volunteered for the submarine service and after a period of instruction was appointed to H.M.S. Sturdy in November 1943, in which he made the long voyage to the Far East. His experiences in the remaining two years of the war are summarised in the unusually long recommendation for a decoration, which ultimately resulted in his second Mention in Despatches (London Gazette 24 July 1945):
‘For good service, endurance and devotion to duty during submarine patrols in Eastern Waters, 4 patrols in H.M.S. Sturdy as Navigating Officer and 2 patrols as First Lieutenant, second in command of H.M.S. Spirit.
In the course of 4 patrols in Eastern Waters, Sturdy had the following successes.
During her first patrol, off the coast of Thailand, Sturdy sank 2 large tugs and 3 lighters, 3 junks and a passenger vessel of about 200 tons employed on the Kantang-Puket ferry service. This latter sinking had the useful effect of stopping the service for some time thereby causing embarrassment to Japanese forces on Puket Island. On her second patrol, Sturdy sank two 150 ton coasters, and 1 large Japanese fishing vessel.
In the South West Pacific Area, Sturdy’s first patrol resulted in the sinking of coasters of 350, 300, and 300 tons and in the destruction of 9 schooners of about 150 tons each, all laden with nickel ore. On her next patrol coasters of 300 and 350 tons, a Naval Auxiliary of 300 tons, a 100 ton schooner, two Japanese armed luggers, and 2 laden Praus were destroyed.
Sturdy’s patrols were, throughout, characterised by daring and skilful gun actions, often in confined waters, by the efficient destruction of small but valuable shipping by demolition charges well placed by a highly trained and enterprising boarding party, and by a readiness to bring back a selection of Japanese and Malay prisoners for intelligence purposes. The general effect of this submarine’s activities on the enemy’s coastal trade both in the Burmese-Siamese coast and in the Java Sea area has undoubtedly been considerable and her “bag” of 34 vessels is very creditable in areas where targets have been so few.
During two patrols in Spirit (35 and 33 days) in the South West Pacific Area, coasters of 600 and 300 tons, and a 350 ton “Q” ship were destroyed by gunfire. Japanese prisoners were also brought back.
Spirit’s patrols have been conducted in areas where targets were comparatively few. Spirit has however found and destroyed valuable vessels by gunfire and torpedo in shallow inshore waters where her presence has strongly re-inforced the constant threat which has neutralised the enemy’s seaborne supply lines.
This officer has shown himself to have high qualities of zeal, leadership and initiative during his period of service in the flotilla.’

His health obviously affected by the strain of six years’ rigourous service, Lieutenant Hardman left the Navy on medical grounds in 1946. He latterly pursued a career in business and died in Surrey in 2010.

Sold together with the recipient’s two M.I.D. Certificates, both in O.H.M.S. envelopes; and an invitation to a Dance at Buckingham Palace on 30 June 1945.