Auction Catalogue

17 March 2021

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 251

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17 March 2021

Hammer Price:
£480

Five: Able Seaman S. Winterbottom, Royal Navy, who was killed when H.M.S. Saumarez was mined in the Corfu Channel off the Albanian coast on 22 October 1946

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in named card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. S. Winterbottom, 3 Appleby Avenue, Hyde, Cheshire’; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (D/SSX 729949 S. Winterbottom. A.B. R.N.) with named Admiralty enclosure, extremely fine and a scarce group with both wartime and peacetime named condolence slips (5) £300-£400

Sam Winterbottom was born in Newton Hyde, Cheshire, on 8 April 1920 and joined the Royal Navy on 22 May 1940. He served during the Second World War in a variety of ships, and, following the cessation of hostilities, joined H.M.S. Saumarez on 11 July 1946. He was serving in her when she, along with H.M.S. Volage, were mined in the Corfu Channel off the Albanian coast on 22 October 1946; 26 of the crew of the Saumarez were killed in the explosion, including Winterbottom. The Channel was supposed to be mine free, and contemporary evidence suggests that the mines had been deliberately laid by the Albanians.

Winterbottom is buried under a C.W.G.C. Headstone in Corfu British Cemetery, Greece. His medals were sent to his father, Mr. Sam Winterbottom, of Hyde, Cheshire.

Sold with copied record of service; a photographic image of the recipient; and other research, including a copy of the book ‘
The Corfu Incident’ by Eric Leggett.