WW2 ROYAL NAVY LONG SERVICE MEDALS K.64542 CHIEF STOKER WALTER ANSELL HMS NELSON

Offered is a 1939 ? 45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Italy Star, War Medal (1939 ? 45) all un named as issued, Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (G.VI.) impressed named K.64542 W. J. ANSELL. S.P.O. H.M.S. AURORA. Court mounted for display, comes with copies of service records and medal roll.

Chief Stoker Walter John Ansell?was born on the 12/2/1900 in Edenbridge, Kent. He was working as a fitter?s mate, prior to joining the Royal Navy 19/8/1924. Of note is his previous 4 years? service with the Army (1920 ? 24). He served on a variety of H.M. ship and shore stations including: Victory II, Barham, Agamemnon, Torbay, Wrestler, Cairo, Searcher, Effingham, Hawkins, Hood (Spanish civil war) 8/9/1936 ? 27/10/1937, Promoted Chief petty officer 26/1/1937, Aurora.

During WW2 he served aboard Victory II, H.M.S. Cossack (Tribal-class destroyer) 3/2/1940 ? 15/2/1940, H.M.S. SIKH (Tribal class destroyer) 15/2/1940 ? 30/4/1940 (9^th?April heavy air attacks, 13^th?under air attacks at Alesund, Norway, 16^th?and 17^th?under heavy air attacks), Nelson (Nelson class battleship) 29/5/1940 - no further records available.

He?may have?remained on the Nelson for the remainder of the war which would match his medals, in that in mid 1941, Nelson escorted several convoys to Malta before being torpedoed in September. After repairs she resumed doing so before supporting the British invasion of French Algeria during Operation Torch in late 1942. The ship covered the invasions of Sicily (Operation Husky) and Italy (Operation Avalanche) in mid-1943 while bombarding coastal defences during Operation Baytown. During the Normandy landings in June 1944, Nelson provided naval gunfire support before she struck a mine and spent the rest of the year under repair. The ship was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in mid-1945 and returned home a few months after the Japanese surrender in September.

LS & GC medal 27/8/1939.?He died in April 1969 at Portsmouth.