A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties

Pair: Corporal R. Lewis, Royal Armoured Corps, who was killed in action when the troopship Lancastria was bombed and sunk by German Ju-88s off St. Nazaire, 17 June 1940- the loss of the Lancastria was the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history with some estimates putting the casualties as high as 6,500 souls

1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. Lewis, 16 Church Road, Westbury, Wilts.’, good very fine (2) £100-140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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Ronald Lewis served during the Second World War as a Corporal in the Royal Armoured Corps. Following the fall of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk, Lewis found himself retreating to St Nazaire to await evacuation. Operation Aerial was launched to effect the rescue of the remaining Allied troops and civilians from Atlantic ports, particularly St Nazaire and Nantes, from 15-17 June 1940. A large number of servicemen, as well as number of civilians, including embassy staff and employees of the Fairey Aviation factory, were embarked upon the Cunard liner and troopship H.M.T. Lancastria at St. Nazaire in the Loire estuary. Although the ship’s official capacity was 2,200, her Captain had been instructed to ‘load as many men as possible without regard to the limits set down under international law.’

At 2:00 p.m. on 17 June a German air-raid commenced. The Lancastria was advised to depart, but without a destroyer escort as defence against a possible submarine attack her Captain decided to wait. At 4:00 p.m. a fresh air raid began, and the Lancastria was bombed by German Ju-88s. Three direct hits caused the ship to list, and within fifteen minutes she began to capsize. The ship sank quickly and vessels in the area were still under attack during rescue operations, which saved about 2,477 passengers and crew. The total number of people on board is unknown; however, some estimates put the figure as high as 9,000, which would mean a total loss of life of around 6,500, and account for approximately a third of the total casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940; even conservative estimates put it at 3,000 souls, making it the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history. Many of the dead were recorded as simply ‘missing in action during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France’.

Lewis was amongst those killed in the Lancastria, aged 20. He is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, France. His medals were sent to his mother Mabel Lewis.