A good Arctic Convoys Mention in Despatches, Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Group awarded to Acting Chief Ordnance Artificer 2nd Class P.T. West, Royal Navy, who would be awarded his Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Barham on 23rd October 1939. After a short period ashore, he would be posted to H.M.S. Alynbank, an anti-aircraft vessel that would sail on the Arctic Convoys PQ16 and PQ18, during which the vessel would fight off large scale aerial attacks by the Luftwaffe, later taking part in the landings in North Africa in November 1942. He would be Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 1st January 1944. Alynbank would later be sunk as a blockship at Arromanches in Normandy as part of the Mulberry Harbour in Normandy after D-Day.
Group of 7: 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star bar North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal with Mention in Despatches oak leaf emblem; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVIR 1st type bust; (M.38628 P.T. WEST. A/C. O.A.2. H.M.S. BARHAM.)
Condition: court-mounted for display, Good Very Fine
Percy Thomas West was born on 22nd February 1903 at Wimbledon, Surrey giving his trade as Fitter and Turner he would join the Royal Navy for 12 years service on 17th November 1924 seeing service as an Acting Ordnance Artificer 4th Class until 7th April 1926 when he was given the rating on a permanent basis. He would be promoted to Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class on 17th November 1927 whilst serving aboard the Destroyer H.M.S. Broke.
Appointed Ordnance Artificer 2nd Class on 17th November 1931 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Sussex in the Mediterranean, he would remain aboard the Ship until 18th July 1934 when he returned ashore with H.M.S. Pembroke. Posted to H.M.S. Cairo on 25th April 1935, he would be appointed Ordnance Artificer 1st Class on 17th November 1936.
Upon the outbreak of war he would be serving aboard H.M.S. Barham as an Acting Chief Ordnance Artificer 2nd Class, and would be awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal whilst serving aboard the ship on 23rd October 1939, this being given to him on 7th January 1940.
Appointed Acting Chief Ordnance Artificer aboard H.M.S. Excellent on 11th April 1940, and then Chief Ordnance Artificer at H.M.S. Caroline based at Belfast on 1st July 1940. He would transfer to H.M.S. Alynbank on 20th August 1940 and would remain aboard the ship, when he was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1944.
Aboard Alynbank, an anti-aircraft vessel, West would have seen service on the Arctic Convoys including on the large convoys PQ-16 in May 1942 during which Alynbank fought off various air attacks during a passage that resulted in a number of ships being lost to German aircraft. , he would also later serve in support of PQ-18 and subsequently in the convoy that led to the landings of troops near Algiers and Oran during Operation Torch on 8th November 1942.
Alynbank would later be sunk as a blockship at Arromanches to form part of the Mulberry Harbour in Normandy after D-Day.
West would be invalided on 28th May 1945.