Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Eight: Lieutenant T. C. Babb, Royal Naval Reserve

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1953; R.N.R. Decoration, G.VI.R., with undated E.II.R. Bar for Second Award, the reverse officially dated 1948, all unnamed as issued, together with a Silver Jubilee Naval Review 1935 Medal, the reverse engraved, ‘Cadet T. C. Babb’, and a set of related dress miniatures, mounted as worn, generally very fine or better (17) £80-100

Babb was appointed a Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in January 1940 and was serving in the Glenroy by August 1941, a twin-engined motorship that had been requisitioned by the Admiralty from the Alfred Holt Line for use as an infantry assault ship. Having served with distinction in the evacuation of Crete, she was, in November 1941, after Babb had joined her, employed in “Operation Aggressive”, the ill-fated attempt to reinforce the besieged Tobruk garrison. Hit by an aerial torpedo, Glenroy was beached near Mersa Matruh and, three days later, towed into Alexandria, where she underwent extensive repairs before returning home.

Babb was subsequently employed in Stag, the naval depot at Suez, between 1942-43, but may have been back aboard the Glenroy when she returned to the fray off Normandy in June 1944. He had been advanced to Lieutenant, R.N.R. back in July 1942.