Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

Four: 2nd Hand W. S. Curtis, Royal Naval Reserve, who survived the mining of the anti-submarine trawler Lord Austin off Normandy in June 1944

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue, with Second Award Bar (50 S.C. 2nd Hd., R.N.R.), the last with a few edge nicks but generally good very fine (4) £100-120

William Samuel Curtis, a trawlerman by trade, was born in Plymouth in 1906 and entered the Royal Naval Reserve in May 1927. Advanced to 2nd Hand in October 1934, he was mobilised on the outbreak of hostilities and operated out of the Sheerness base Wildfire, aboard the Daneman, for the first half of 1940, being awarded the Anti-Submarine and Minesweeping Badge in June of the same year. Curtis was next transferred to Lowestoft, out of which place he served on Royal Naval Patrol Service duties, his appointments in early 1941 including time aboard the Craig Miller and, from June 1941 until the end of 1942, he was employed on similar duties at Devonport, where he served aboard, among others, the Ben Urie, Tomtit and Japers. For much of 1943 he was based back at Lowestoft but in January 1944 he removed to the Mersey base Irwell, where he joined the Lord Austin that March, which ship, an auxiliary patrol trawler, was mined in the Seine Bay on 24 June 1944, during operations in support of the Normandy landings. Having survived that ordeal, Curtis was re-employed ashore at Plymouth and was released from mobilised service in August 1945; he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in 1942 but the Bar remains unconfirmed.