Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist F. G. Statham, Royal Navy, who during the Second War survived the sinking of both H.M.S. Latona and Medway

British War and Victory Medals (J.64651 F.G. Statham. B. Tel. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (J.64651 F. G. Statham. L. Tel. H.M.S. Nelson.) light contact marks, very fine (3) £70-£90

Frederick George Statham was born at Leicester in July 1901. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in November 1916 as a Boy 2nd Class and saw operational service during the Great War aboard the battleship H.M.S. Benbow, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in August 1934 while serving with the battleship H.M.S. Nelson.

In the early stages of the Second World War, Statham, by this time having attained the rate of Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist, was stationed at H.M.S. St Angelo, Malta and H.M.S. Nile, Alexandria. He later saw service with the battleship H.M.S. Royal Sovereign and was on the ship’s crew of the minelayer H.M.S. Latona on 25 October 1941 while she was supporting the besieged garrison at Tobruk. Carrying 1,000 Polish troops Latona came under air attack north of Bardia, was hit in the engine room by a bomb from a Junkers Ju 87, causing her to sink two hours later with the loss of 4 officers, 16 crew members and 7 soldiers. Following this Statham was posted to the submarine depot ship H.M.S. Medway and was present on 30 June 1942 when she was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat U-372 off Port Said. He was invalided out of the service in June 1944 following a spell in Haslar Royal Naval Hospital.