World War Medals

Here is a most unusual RN WW1 WW2 Casualty Medal Grouping being a WW1 15 Star Trio named to R. Comben (Leading Seaman on Star) & PO on BWM & Victory. CPO Richard Edward Comben was born in 1890 and joined the Navy as a Boy II in 1913 where he served on board HMS Impregnable, then on a number of other ships including HMS Terrible, Jupiter, Swiftsure and Euryalus etc. He then appears on King George V, Excellence, Gossamer and Circe including shore bases like HMS Victory. Vernon and Dido etc. Most of the above are WW1 postings up until 1919. He then appears to leave the Service but rejoins and is promoted in 1926, to (CPO,). Then in 1939 on HMS Victory in Portsmouth before joining HMS Vernon. The latter being a shore base which was responsible for Mine disposal and which specialisied in counter measures on German Mines & Torpedo’s. On April 8th 1941 the sirens sounded and most of the personnel went into the shelters at 21.45 hrs. The Luftwaffe had deployed a major raid on Coventry that night but a subsidery force was sent to bomb Portsmouth. Between 21.45 hours and 0245 hours enemy aircraft of Luftflottie 3, mainly made up of HE111′s dropped 40 tons of H. E and 12.536 Incendiaries on the Portsmouth area. A number of direct hits left much of HMS Vernon in ruins. Over 100 RN and civilian personnel were killed including CPO Richard Comben. He was laid to rest in the Military section of Portsmouth Highland Road Cemetery. The Gruppenkmdr of 1/KG55, Hptm Otto Bodemayer was piloting one of the six enemy aircraft shot down in this and the Coventry raid with his Bomber crashing in Leicestershire. He survived to become a POW. After the raid HMS Vernon was moved to quieter areas with parts relocating at Roedean School in Brighton. The group consists of his WW1 1915 Trio together with a 1939 War Medal contained in an original period tin. This was his only WW2 entitlement and he was not entitled to a Defence medal having not served a straight 3 years at home. His sporadic service also presumably denied him of a LSGG medal. There is also a small diary and various original photos inc an Xmas party at HMS Vernon in 1940 plus one of King George VI etc. The group also comes with some of his PRO papers which state DD (Date off Death) 8th April 1941, “Vernon”, by ENEMY ACTION. Military personnel who served throughout WW1 and died during WW2 as a result of enemy action are rare. Military Trader (UK) – International Purveyors of Military Antiques – Govt Surplus, Reclamation & Architectural Antiques. The item “WW1/WW2 RN OFFICER MEDAL GROUP MINE INSTR, CASUALTY LUFTWAFFE BOMBING RAID 1941″ is in sale since Monday, January 23, 2017. This item is in the category “Collectables\Militaria\World War I (1914-1918)\Medals/ Ribbons”. The seller is “militarytrader-uk” and is located in London / Spain & Bomber County. This item can be shipped worldwide.