Description

Offered is an exceptionally rare set of medals to Dennis Silcok, who served with both the Royal Navy and British Army during his 19 years of service. Silcock is believed to be the only member of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to have worn the Atlantic Star whilst still in service.

1939 – 45 Star, Atlantic Star with France & Germany clasp, War Medal (1939 – 45), all un named as issued, General Service Medal (1918 -62) with clasp MALAYA, impressed named 22539714 TPR. D.E. SILCOCK 13/18 H. Court mounted for display. Comes with original Royal Navy service papers & Regular Army Certificate of Service book, copy extract 13/18^th Royal Hussars Journal 1951.

A rather unique medal group for a soldier to have a Atlantic Star.

Dennis Ernest Reginald Silcock, was born on the 19/9/1925 in New Denham, Buckinghamshire. The 1939 census records him as a school boy at St Albans, Hertfordshire.

He enlisted into the Royal Navy 29/3/1943 at 17 years of age with the service number JX410175. He was posted to H.M.S. Ganges until 11/6/43 (training) H.M.S. Pembroke (accounting station probably whilst in transit) 12/6/43 – 25/6/43.

H.M.S. Quebec 26/6/43 – 31/8/43: No 1 Combined Training Centre, Inveraray. It was located on the remote shores of Loch Fyne in Scotland. Its prime purpose was to train army and navy service personnel in the use of minor landing craft for landing assault troops, supplies, ammunition and weaponry onto heavily defended enemy occupied beaches, with RAF support as required.

Commissioned on the 1st May, 1941, the main functions of the base were to train and accommodate naval landing craft crews, to accommodate officers and men in “pool” awaiting draft and such crews as were used in combined training by C.T.C., Inveraray.

Loofira/Bofira/Lofira (?) 1/9/1943 -28/3/1944. More research to decipher the handwriting, possibly a ship/base or acronym? Attended and passed A.A (anti aircraft) gunnery course June 1944.

H.M.S. Copra 29/3/44 – 28/2/46. Royal Navy shore base for the maintenance of personnel records and the calculation of pay and allowances for RN personnel attached to Combined Operations. COPRA stands for Combined Operations Pay Records & Accounts.

H.M.S Pembroke 1/3/46 – 21/3/46. (accounts base).

H.M.S. Royal Arthur 22/3/46 – 6/9/46. (shore base which was used to mainly train ‘Hostilities Only’ communications branch ratings and officers.

Discharged Royal Navy 1/10/1950.

Enlisted Army 2/10/1950 (service number 22539714), with the 13^th/18^th Royal Hussars (armoured cars), at the time the regiment was posted to Egypt in April 1950 and to Malaya, for service as an armoured car regiment during the Malayan Emergency, in June 1950, it returned to Wolfenbüttel in November 1953. Dennis transferred to the reserve 1/10/1955 and was discharged 1/10/62. The Regimental journal for 1951 lists him as being in ‘C’ Squadron and he died in 2004 in Wiltshire.

It is possible that he participated in the following campaigns involving landing craft:

D – Day 6/6/1944.

Operation Dragoon 15/8/1944 (South of France)

Operation Switch Back (Scheldt) 9/10/1944