For sale - medal group - 1939 – 45 Star with unofficial SOUTH ATLANTIC clasp, Pacific Star, both unnamed as issued; War Medal (1939 – 45); Australian Service Medal 1939 – 45 both impressed named F.3180 A.A. DUNN.; Unofficial Solomon Island Medal impressed named F3180 A.A. DUNN. H.M.A.S. CANBERRA. Medals lacquered and court mounted for display and comes with copies of service records and newspaper articles including picture.
Arthur Archibald Dunn was born on 3/4/1919 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. He enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy on 23/9/1940 as an Ordinary Seaman and after initial training at Leeuwin was posted to HMAS Canberra (Kent class heavy cruiser) 0n 13/5/1941 serving on her until she was sunk in action on 9/8/1942 during the Battle of Savo Island.
At the time U.S. Marines were put ashore on Guadalcanal and other nearby islands on the 7th August, the Imperial Japanese Navy reacted by assembling a force of five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and one destroyer which proceeded to the area intending to strike the shipping in the location and disrupt the shore forces.
The Canberra’s lookouts had detected the Japanese in the darkness and were at action stations and the ship commenced to speed up and manoeuvre to keep between the as yet unidentified ships and the troopships. The Japanese force being under no doubts as to friend or foe opened fire hitting the Canberra 27 times in seconds which left her afire amidships, and destroyed the radio room, all power was also cut (supposition it was an American torpedo hit). The Japanese fleet continued on sinking and damaging a second group of Allied warships before withdrawing.
The Canberra was left drifting, burning and sinking with the U.S. destroyers Patterson and Blue, helped to fight the fires and took off survivors and wounded. The survivors were transferred to American transports and the Canberra was eventually sunk by torpedo fire when she could not be saved.
It was successful bold strike by the Japanese who sank the cruisers USS Quincey and USS Vincennes. The cruisers HMAS Canberra and USS Astoria were both so badly damaged they eventually sank. With another 2 US destroyers damaged. The Canberra lost 84 killed with 109 wounded, the US Navy lost 1,593 casualties (including 939 killed).
After survivors leave, he was posted to the HMAS Pirie (corvette) 4/10/1942 – 19/12/1942. HMAS Shropshire (County class cruiser) 6/3/1943 – 30/9/1943 after which his records are faded and unreadable. At some stage he served on the HMAS Lachlan (river class frigate) and was still in service in 1949.
He died on 23/12/2001, in Perth WA.
