Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Petty Officer M. J. ‘Shiner’ Brassington, Royal Navy

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, B & M Clearance Mediterranean (C/JX.905322 M. J. Brassington. A.B. R.N.); General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Malay Peninsula (JX.905322 M. J. Brassington. P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (JX.905322 M. J. Brassington. P.O. H.M.S. Vernon.) mounted for display, generally very fine and very rare (3) £1,400-£1,800

Approximately 60 ‘Bomb and Mine Clearance Mediterranean’ clasps issued to men of the Fleet Clearance Diving Team and men of the seaman branch employed in the removal of recovered bombs and mines. The clasp was awarded for six months’ consecutive work in the disposal of bombs and mines during the period of 1 January 1953 - 31 December 1960. The majority of the work centred around Malta and, in particular, the main harbour of Valletta where large quantities of bombs were recovered from a number of merchant vessels that had been sunk by air attack during the Second War, such as the motor vessels Talbot and Pampas.

Michael John ‘Shiner’ Brassington was born in West Ham in February 1936, ‘his love of diving was formed at a very early age when, as a twelve year old, he worked with the British Diving Team during the 1948 London Olympics. They introduced him to his first pair of fins... At the tender age of 15 he joined the Royal Navy as a junior entrant for boy service, at H.M.S. Ganges based at Shotley, on 4 September 1951.’ (Typed résumé included with lot refers)

Brassington nearly died during one of his first dives at the Naval Diving School, Chatham. He got stuck in three feet of mud, 30 foot down without a properly functioning oxygen supply. Having undertaken Clearance Diving training, Brassington was posted to the Mediterranean Fleet Clearance Diving (MFCD) Team based at Malta in April 1955:

‘The MFCD Team were responsible not only for mines and unexploded ordnance in the water, but also any enemy aircraft bombs found on land. The largest bomb dealt with by Brassington and the other members of the team, was a 1,000 kg German aircraft bomb known as ‘Herman’. This was the largest bomb made by the Germans in WWII. The explosive content was a staggering 600 kg (1,320 lbs) of high explosive. It was discovered outside the main entrance to St. John’s Cathedral in Valetta. A statue now marks the spot.’ (Ibid)

Brassington served as a diver with H.M.S. Dingley, 1957-58, and was subsequently posted as Petty Officer in charge of the carrier H.M.S. Eagle’s Diving Team. He was subsequently stationed at H.M.S. Vernon where he was responsible for developing and teaching industrial radiography and adapting it to Bomb and Mine Disposal. As a consequence of his work, Brassington was made an Associate member of the Institute of Nuclear Engineers and a graduate of the NDT Society of Great Britain. He retired in 1976.

Sold with extensive copied research, including copies of service record, several photographic images of recipient, and a typed résumé of his career.