April 11-13, 2023 Firearms and Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/13/2023
A very nice example of a World War II Royal Navy medal group named to Chief Electrical Artificer 2nd Class P.J. Comiskey. The medals are tastefully mounted and include his Naval General Service George VI (1st type) impressed "M.38094 P.J. COMISKEY. C.E.A.2. R.N." with Palestine 1936-1939 clasp, unnamed 1939-1945 Star, unnamed Africa Star, unnamed Italy Star, unnamed Burma Star, unnamed 1939-1945 War Medal, and Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (King George VI version) impressed "M.38094 P.J. COMISKEY. C.E.A.2. H.M.S. HERMES". According to included records, Comiskey's LSGCM medal was issued in 1939. HMS Hermes was a British aircraft carrier and was the world's first ship to be designed as an aircraft carrier. It was launched in 1919 but not commissioned until 1924. Hermes had active service throughout the 1920s-30s and was immediately thrown into action with the outbreak of hostilities of World War II. She initially saw service around Africa but was berthed in Trincomalee on 8 April 1941 when a warning of an Indian Ocean raid by the Japanese fleet was received. Later that day, she sailed for the Maldives with no aircraft on board. On 9 April a Japanese scout plane spotted her near Batticaloa, and she was attacked by dive bombers shortly afterwards. With no air cover, the carrier was quickly sunk by the Japanese aircraft. Her compliment included around 566 excluding aircrew, with 307 men lost in the sinking. Most of the survivors were picked up by the hospital ship Vita. CONDITION: Medals exhibit a varying light patina with scattered light blemishes.