Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith

Three: Ordinary Telegraphist W. F. Lishman, Royal Navy, who was killed in action in H.M.S. Galatea in December 1941

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, together with original Admiralty condolence slip in the name of ‘William Frederick Lishman’, extremely fine (3) £60-80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith.

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William Frederick Lishman was killed in action in the cruiser H.M.S. Galatea on 15 December 1941, on which date, having survived a sustained attack by enemy aircraft, she was torpedoed by the U-557, turning over and sinking in just three minutes, with a loss of 23 officers and 447 ratings. As it transpired, the U-557 was lost with all hands a few days later, when accidentally rammed by the Italian M.T.B. Orione off Crete. Galatea had earlier won Battle Honours for Norway 1940, Bismarck Action 1941 and Mediterranean 1941. Lishman, whose parents were resident at Ashton-upon-Ribble, Lancashire, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.