Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

A fine long service group of eight awarded to Petty Officer W. E. D. Page, Royal Navy, a very lucky submariner who, as a result of new postings, survived successively the loss, with all hands, of H.M. Submarines Phoenix, Tetrarch and P222 between 1940-42

Nine: British War and Victory Medals (J. 70628 Boy 2, R.N.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-39 (J. 70628 L.S., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head, with Bar for Second Award (J. 70628 L.S., H.M.S. Oberon) the first with re-riveted (slack) suspension and the earlier awards with contact marks and heavily polished, thus fine, the remainder generally very fine (9) £300-400

William Edward Douglas Page was born in Dorking, Surrey in July 1901 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1917. Following attendance at the training establishment Ganges, he joined the cruiser Shannon in June 1918, and, in March 1919, the battle cruiser Renown, gaining advancement to Able Seaman during the course of the latter appointment.

In March 1923, Page volunteered for submarines, and by the end of the year he was serving in K6. And, but for the period 1928-30, he appears to have remained a submariner for the remainder of his career. Advanced to Leading Seaman in December 1925, he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in September 1934, while serving in H.M. Submarine Oberon, and appointed a Petty Officer in July 1937.

Page’s wartime career in submarines was a lucky one, surviving as he did, by the good fortune of beneficially timed transfers, the loss with all hands of three submarines in the period 1940-42.

He served first in the Phoenix, between 1 May and 1 July 1940 - she was lost with all hands two weeks later, following a depth charge attack delivered by an Italian torpedo boat; secondly in the Tetrarch, in the Mediterranean, under Lieutenant-Commander P. M. T. Peacock, between 15 February and 1 May 1941 - she was lost with all hands six months later, probably as a result of being mined in the Sicilian Channel; and finally in the P222, again in the Mediterranean, under Lieutenant-Commander A. J. MacKenzie, between 12 December 1941 and September 1942 - she was lost with all hands three months later, following a depth charge attack delivered by an Italian destroyer.

P222 was engaged on her fifth wartime patrol at the time of her loss, so there is no doubt that Page had come through at least one, if not two or three of these active outings, prior to his fortunate transferral back to the U.K. in September 1942.

He was awarded a Bar to his L.S. & G.C. Medal in May 1953, while based at the submarine depot ship Lucia, and is verified as having received the Coronation Medal in the same year.