A Second World War H.M.S. Barham casualty group awarded to Ordinary Signalman A.J. Kyrke-Smith, Royal Navy who was aboard H.M.S. Barham when the battleship was torpedoed and sunk by U-331 on 25th November 1941. Having no known grave he is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Group of 3: 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, War Medal all privately engraved ‘C/JX 226657 Ord. Sigmn. A.J. Kyrke-Smith, R.N.’
Condition: Extremely Fine
Along with handwritten casualty slip to ‘Arthur James Kyrke-Smith’ and Director of Navy Accounts box of issue addressed to Mr. H.S. Kyrke-Smith, 202A High Road, Ilford, Essex.
Arthur James Kyrke-Smith was the son of Henry and Agnes Kyrke-Smith of Ilford, Essex and was served as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the Battleship H.M.S. Barham. On 28th December 1939 Barham was on patrol with the Battleship Repulse and five destroyers when it was damaged by a torpedo fired from U30. The battleship was out of action for 3 months whilst being repaired.
On 25th November 1941, as part of the Mediterranean Fleet, H.M.S. Barham was one of three battleships and eight destroyers tasked with covering an attack on Italian convoys when she was hit at 4.25pm, by three torpedoes fired by the German submarine U-331, under the command of Lieutenant Hans Diedrich von Tiesenhausen. The torpedoes were fired from a range of only 750 yards, providing no time for evasive action, and struck closely together. As Barham rolled over to port, her magazines exploded and she quickly sank with the loss of more than two-thirds of her crew. Out of a total compliment of 1,184 officers and ratings, 841 were killed.
U-331 was forced to dive to evade the escorting ships before Barham exploded, and heard only the detonation of the torpedoes. Her captain Lieutenant von Tiesenhausen, could not be sure whether he had sunk Barham, or merely damaged her, and left the scene before he resurfaced. In an effort to conceal the sinking from the enemy, and to protect British morale, the Admiralty censored all news of Barham’s destruction, and it was not until 27 January 1942 that the Admiralty officially announced her loss. Lieutenant von Tiesenhausen was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross that day.
Kyrke-Smith was amongst those killed, aged 21. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Henry Kyrke-Smith.