Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Ship’s Cook F. F. Clark, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal, unnamed as issued, extremely fine (3) £80-100

Ship’s Cook Francis Frederick Clark, Royal Navy, was killed in action on 25 July 1941, aged 23 years, whilst serving on the destroyer H.M.S. Achates. On that day the ship, part of a squadron assembling at Seidisfjord, Iceland, for a carrier raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo, struck a mine and was severely damaged. The Achates, which had earlier taken part in the operations against the Bismarck, was eventually sunk by the German ships Hipper and Lutzow off Bear Island, Norway in December 1942. Clark’s name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. He was the son of Harry and Margaretta Clark of Charlton, London. Sold with Admiralty condolence slip named to ‘Francis Frederick Clark’ and original card medal forwarding box addressed to ‘Mr H. Clark, 26 Meridan Road, Charlton, London, S.E.7’.