Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare ‘Spanish Civil War’ B.E.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman E. Thomas, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant and distinguished services when H.M.S. Hunter was mined off Almeria in May 1937; he was later killed in action when Hunter was sunk during the first battle of Narvik, 10 April 1940, an engagement which saw the Flotilla Commander, Captain B. A. W. Warburton-Lee, awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross

British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (E. Thomas., A.B., O.N. D/SSX 15572); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, good very fine (4) £600-£800

B.E.M. London Gazette 12 November 1937:
‘For gallant and distinguished services rendered when H.M.S. Hunter was mined off Almeria on the coast of Spain on the 13th May, 1937.’

The original joint recommendation states: ‘An explosion caused by the mining occurred underneath the Stoker Petty Officers’ and Torpedomen’s Mess Decks. To reach the ratings on these mess decks, this party had to jump down 8 feet, the ladder being blown away, into 3 feet of oil fuel and to a deck which might not have been intact. During this period they remained in imminent risk of falling through the shattered deck into the water and oil fuel. Moreover, they were under the impression that the ship was about to founder. Their exertions to save life consisted in dragging living and dead men from under passing wreckage and out of the oil fuel and passing them up on deck. This operation lasted from 5 to 10 minutes. The rescued were in very severe danger from having swallowed oil fuel and had they been left would undoubtedly have died. Others were severely burnt and immersion of their wounds in oil fuel, if prolonged, would undoubtedly have caused death.’

Ernest Thomas was born in 1916 in Ponypridd, Wales, briefly working in the mines before opting to join the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman from 22 October 1934. He served aboard the aircraft carrier Furious from April 1935 and was rated Able Seaman a year later before joining the Destroyer H.M.S. Hunter in September 1936. Operating out of St. Angelo II at Malta from 20 October, Hunter patrolled Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War, enforcing the edicts of the Non-Intervention Committee. Striking a mine off Almeria, Spain, on the afternoon of 13 May 1937, she suffered severe damage, with a heavy list, her radio wrecked and the bow flooded. Eight of her complement were killed and 24 wounded. The ship was towed clear of the minefield by the Spanish Republican destroyer Lazaga. The mines had been sown by two Spanish (ex-German) Nationalist E-boats, the Requeté and the Falange on the night of 6 April. Thomas was awarded the B.E.M. in respect of his actions on this occasion, as cited above.

Thomas served as an Able Seaman in the now repaired H.M.S. Hunter during the Second World War and was present at the Battle of Narvik, 10 April 1940. Hunter was part of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, led by H.M.S. Hardy under the command of Captain B. A. W. Warburton-Lee, that left Scapa Flow on 6 April 1940 to escort the four destroyer minelayers of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla as they sailed to implement Operation Wilfred, an operation to lay mines in the Vestfjord to prevent the shipment of Swedish iron ore from Narvik to Germany. Having sown their mines early on the 8 April, before the Germans began their invasion, the destroyers rejoined the battlecruiser Renown and her escorts. Meanwhile, eleven large German destroyers, each transporting 300 soldiers and accompanied by several merchantmen had steamed into Ofot Fjord on their way to Narvik. The news had been transmitted to the Admiralty by Captain Warburton-Lee, who was at once informed that the odds against the small British force were so heavy that it would be left to his own judgement to attack immediately or to await reinforcements.

Captain Warburton-Lee elected to attack before the Germans had time to complete their landing or consolidate their position, so, just before dawn on 10 April 1940 the five British destroyers entered Ofot Fjord. The British steamed down the long fjord under cover of a blizzard, without incident, and appeared before Narvik harbour at about four-thirty a.m. H.M.S. Hardy at once entered the harbour to reconnoitre, leaving her four consorts, H.M.S. Havock, Hostile, Hotspur, and Hunter, outside. She made a full circuit of the harbour, which was full of shipping, and chose to engage Willem Heidkamp, the flagship German destroyer, with gunfire and torpedo. Surprise was total. Two torpedoes were discharged and the German was hit and blew up. Before leaving, H.M.S. Hardy engaged another two of the enemy as well as the shore batteries but was not hit. Captain Warburton-Lee then ordered his four consorts to circle the harbour in turn, his own ship following. Hunter and Havock opened up on Anton Schmitt with guns and torpedoes, sinking her, they then turned their attention to Hans Ludemann, badly damaging her, while Hostile scored two direct hits on Deiter Von Roeder. On withdrawing, a fresh force of three enemy destroyers were sighted emerging from the Rombaks Fjord which opens into Ofot Fjord above Narvik. This force was immediately engaged and reinforced by two other destroyers from the same direction.

In the fierce fight that ensued, H.M.S. Hunter was badly hit in the engine room and lost speed. With visibility obscured by smoke, Hotspur then smashed into Hunter’s side, pushing her over and leaving her dead in the water. Due to the intensity of the German gunfire, none of the other flotilla destroyers could come to her aid and she was sent to the bottom by her pursuers. At first it was thought that she had gone down with her entire crew of 145, but it was later discovered that 2 officers and 44 ratings had been picked up by the German destroyer Erich Giese; this party was landed at Narvik and held as prisoners of war until 13 April, when they were released by the Germans and sent to Sweden, from where they returned home. For his gallantry that day the mortally wounded Captain Warburton-Lee was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first V.C. to be gazetted in the Second World War, his last signal from H.M.S. Hardy, also sunk that day, had been ‘keep on engaging the enemy’.

Thomas was amongst those killed, aged 24. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

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