Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Nine: Leading Seaman G. V. Ballard, Royal Navy

British War and Victory Medals (J. 48164 A.B., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage bust (J. 48164 A./L.S., H.M.S. Ramillies); U.S.S.R. 40th Anniversary Medal 1945-85, mounted as worn excepting the last, the Great War awards with edge bruising and severely polished, fair, the L.S. & G.C. about very fine and the remainder good very fine (9) £120-150

George Victor Ballard was born at Limehouse, London in January 1899 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in December 1915. His first seagoing appointment was in battle cruiser H.M.S. Lion between December 1916 and March 1920, during which period he gained advancement to Able Seaman, and he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in May 1932.

By the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Ballard had been advanced to Leading Seaman and was serving aboard the Antenor, an armed merchant cruiser (ex China Mutual Steamship Co.), but he departed her when she was converted to a troopship in October 1941. He remained, however, employed as gunner in armed merchant cruisers, next joining the Corfu, in which ship he served until coming ashore to Pembroke in November 1942. Then in June of the following year, he joined the flotilla leader Ulster, in which destroyer he remained until the end of 1944, thereby qualifying for the ‘France and Germany’ clasp to his Atlantic Star for her part in the Normandy landings. Once more coming ashore to Pembroke, Ballard enjoyed a final wartime seagoing appointment in the corvette Starwort in the summer of 1945, and he was released as ‘Class A’ in September of the same year.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s original Certificate of Service and Gunnery and Torpedo History Sheets.