Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Able Seaman C. W. C. Coe, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Reserve, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Achates was sunk during the Battle of the Barents Sea, 31 December 1942, and was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (J.109653 C. W. Coe. A.B. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J.109653 (Ch. B. 24839) C. W. C. Coe. A.B. R.F.R.) about extremely fine (5) £300-£400

Charles William Cyril Coe was born at Hythe, Kent, on 10 June 1908 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 12 February 1924. He was shore discharged, time expired, on 11 June 1938, and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day. Recalled for War service, he served on the Arctic Convoys, and was killed in action on 31 December 1942 when H.M.S. Achates was sunk during the Battle of the Barents Sea.

On 31 December 1942, Achates was on escort duty protecting the convoy JW 51B en route from Loch Ewe to Murmansk when she was sunk in the Barents Sea. The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, pocket battleship Lützow and six large destroyers had been ordered to attack and destroy the convoy. Despite being heavily outgunned the escort, under the command of Captain R. St. Vincent Sherbrooke in Onslow (subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross), beat off the attack and not one merchant vessel was lost. At 11:15, Achates was laying smoke to protect the convoy when she was hit by gunfire from Admiral Hipper, killing the commanding officer, Lt Cdr Johns, and forty crew. The First Lieutenant, Lieutenant L. E. Peyton-Jones, took over command and, despite having sustained severe damage in the shelling, Achates continued her smoke screen operation. At 13:30 she went down 135 nautical miles ESE of Bear Island. 113 seamen were lost and 81 were rescued, one of whom later died on the trawler Northern Gem which had come to the aid of Achates. In response, the light cruiser Sheffield damaged Admiral Hipper, and subsequently sank her escort, Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt.

Coe is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. For his services during the Second World War he was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 23 April 1943).