The fine Second World War Battle of the Atlantic Destroyer convoy escort operations and heavy cruiser Sussex 1945 Indian Ocean and Pacific operations, and rare variant long service group awarded to Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist later Petty Officer Telegraphist L. Marston, Royal Navy. From Wortley, Leeds, he saw service between October 1928 and October 1958, this broken by a spell of civil life between 1946 and 1953. He was aboard the heavy cruiser Sussex when on 26 July 1945 her Task Force was attacked by two attack bombers acting as kamikaze suicide weapons. One made an imprint on the side of Sussex, from which it could be identified as a Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia". On Wednesday, 5 September 1945 at 11:30 am, Sussex entered Singapore Harbour carrying the Flag of the Rear-Admiral Cedric Holland. General Seishiro Itagaki, the commander of the garrison at Singapore was brought on board, where he signed the formal surrender of the army, thus completing Operation Tiderace, the Allied plan to recapture Singapore. Marston was awarded the rare EIIR “Dei.Grat.Britt.Omn” bust version of the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in April 1954.
Group of 5: 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star; War Medal; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, EIIR Dei.Grat.Britt.Omn. bust (1953-1955); (JX.132479 L. MARSTON. P.O. TEL. H.M.S. DRAKE.), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: light contact wear and light polishing, Very Fine.
Royal Navy Parchment Certificate of Service, issued in the name of Lewis Marston, covering his service from October 1928 through to October 1958.
Two Royal Navy Parchment Wireless History Sheets - Examination Record, issued in the name of Lewis Marston.
Royal Navy Parchment Wireless Telegraphers Wireless History Sheet - Examination Record, issued in the name of Lewis Marston.
Royal Navy Parchment Wireless Telegrapher Ratings’ History Sheet and Trade Certificate - Examination Record, issued in the name of Lewis Marston.
Royal Navy Parchment Higher Educational Certificate Second Class, issued to Lewis Marston.
Royal Navy Certificate of Educational Fitness for Accelerated Advancement and for the Educational Test, Part 1, issued in the name of Lewis Marston.
City and Guilds of London Institute Department of Technology Certificate for having passed the Intermediate Examination in Radio Service Work during 1949, issued in the name of Lewis Marston.
Lewis Marston was born on 15 January 1913 in Wortley, Leeds, and having been to school, then directly joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Chatham No.132479) with Ganges on 4 October 1928. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class on 17 February 1929, and rebadged as a Boy Telegrapher on 17 November 1929, seeing his first service afloat aboard the heavy cruiser Hawkins fro January to May 1930.
In July 1930 he was granted “accelerated advancement” and rated as an Ordinary Telegraphist whilst aboard the battleship Royal Oak on 16 July 1930, and was then rated as a Telegraphist whilst still aboard her on 16 April 1931. He was with the shore base Hawkins II out in Aden when he was rated as an Acting Leading Telegraphist on 1 December 1934, and was back home with Pembroke when he was rated as a Leading Telegraphist on 1 December 1935. Further inter-war service afloat occurred aboard the battleships Ramillies during June to July 1936, and the battleship Orion from September 1936 to April 1937, during which period he was advanced to Acting Petty Officer Telegraphist on 21 January 1937. He was with then briefly transferred on secondment to the New Zealand Navy Division of the Royal Navy when with the light cruiser Leander from April 1937 until February 1939, during which period he was confirmed in his promotion to Petty Officer Telegraphist on 21 January 1938, and he was still out in New Zealand with the Wireless Telegraphist’s Station at Wellington when the Second World War broke out, and continued there until posted home to Victory at Portsmouth on 1 May 1940, in which month he then joined Pembroke at Chatham.
Marston was still with Pembroke when he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist on 17 August 1940, and then joined the destroyer Burnham from 27 September 1940, and saw continuous service aboard her until July 1943. In early 1941 Burnham began a series of escort voyages between Iceland and Newfoundland. Throughout 1942 and 1943, Burnham worked mainly between Newfoundland and Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Posted to Avalon III from 8 July 1943, and to Pembroke from 6 August 1943, he was aboard another vessel, possibly a destroyer, from 31 October 1943 until 16 January 1944, and then joined the escort carrier Rajah from 17 January 1944 until 16 December 1944 when posted back to Pembroke, during which period he was on service out in the Indian Ocean. Marston’s final wartime service was aboard the heavy cruiser Sussex out in the Indian Ocean and Pacific between 2 February 1945 and 15 October 1945. On 26 July 1945 her Task Force was attacked by two attack bombers acting as kamikaze suicide weapons. One made an imprint on the side of Sussex, from which it could be identified as a Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia". On Wednesday, 5 September 1945 at 11:30 am, Sussex entered Singapore Harbour carrying the Flag of the Rear-Admiral Cedric Holland. General Seishiro Itagaki, the commander of the garrison at Singapore was brought on board, where he signed the formal surrender of the army, thus completing Operation Tiderace, the Allied plan to recapture Singapore. Marston was released to the Class A Reserve on 21 January 1946.
During 1949 he passed First Class the Intermediate Examination in Radio Service Work through the City and Guilds of London Institute Department of Technology, and after a further period spent in civilian work, he then rejoined the Royal Navy as a Telegraphist (Devonport No.JX.132479) with Drake on 26 November 1953, being reconfirmed as a Leading Telegraphist on the following day, and then as a Petty Officer Telegraphist on 28 November.
He returned to service afloat aboard the destroyer Battleaxe from 29 January 1954, and was aboard her when on 9 April 1954, he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, this being the rare EIIR variant with the Dei.Grat.Britt.Omn. bust, awarded between 1953 and 1955. After a period of time in the Mediterranean, Marston left Battleaxe on 2 October 1956, and was with Maidstone on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Forces from December 1956 to July 1957, and was latterly with Phoenicia at Malta from July 1958 until 15 October 1958 when he was released from service.
