Description
1914-15 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star clasp North Africa 1942-43, Burma Star clasp Pacific, War Medal, Naval General Service Medal (1915-1962), 2 bars, S.E. Asia 1945-46, Near East, Korea Medal 1950-53, UN Korea Medal.
Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 3rd October 1952:
“For Gallant and distinguished services in operations in Korean Waters, Senior Commissioned Ordnance Engineer Victor William Josiah Elliott, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Belfast.”
MEDAL DETAILS:
WW2 Medals and clasps all original, unnamed as issued.
NGS Officially impressed: “V.W.J. Elliott. Wt Ord. Officer. R.N.” Note a minor official correction to “Wt” only.
Korea Medal Officially impressed: “S.C.O.E. V.W.J. Elliott. R.N.”
UN Korea, unnamed as issued.
The group is mounted.
Provenance, Ex DNW Auctions, 27th July 1995, and again in 19th July 2017, Hammer Price £1700+24%= £2100.
NGS and S.E. Asia, clasp earned during 1945-6 as one of only 2,000 clasps issued on board HMS Sussex.
Near East clasp earned during 1956 on board HMS/SS Ranpura, as a Heavy Repair Ship.
Korea Medals earned as Senior Commissioned Ordnance Officer of HMS Belfast, serving throughout the war from 1950-52.
SERVICES AND CAREER IN BRIEF:
V.W.J. Elliott born during 1917, can be traced as a early as his commission as the Warrant Ordnance Officer of HMS Sussex between 1944-46, during which time she was hit by Kamikaze Pilots and had the pleasure of receiving on board General Seishiro Itagaki, as he signed the formal surrender of Singapore by the Japanese Forces, ending the Japanese resistance in Singapore and Malaya. He also took part in the operations after the war that earned the NGS Medal with S.E. Asia clasp.
He served on HMS Sirius from 1946-1948, followed by a station as an Equipment Officer at the N.O.D. from 1948-Jan 1950
He served on board HMS Belfast, from March 1950 until about October 1952, as her Senior Commissioned Ordnance Engineer, during which time she gained much acclaim for her accurate bombardments and after firing 8,000 shots had to have a short break to have her barrels replaced at Singapore.
This culminated in the scarce award of the Mention in Despatches Oakleaf on his Korea Medal, awarded in October 1952, for “Gallant and distinguished services in operations in Korean Waters.”
After some time at Home from Oct 1952 to 1954, at HMS Excellent, he joined the “Heavy Repair Ship” HMS Ranpura, formerly SS Ranpura of the P&O Cruise Line.
During his time on the Ranpura she took part in the Suez Operations of 1956, for which he earned the Near East Clasp.
He later served at HMS President during 1958, Cochrane, during 1961 and Bellerophon, during Spring 1962.
Lastly seen on HMS Collingwood during 1967.
Promotions:
August 1944, Warrant Ordnance Officer
March 1950, Senior Commissioned Ordnance Engineer
1957, Engineer Lieutenant
1962, Engineer Lieutenant Commander
Retired during 1968, with the rank of Engineer Lt. Commander having served at least 24 years in the Royal Navy.
NAVAL SERVICES WW2, Onboard HMS Sussex when attacked by Kamikaze Pilots and received General Seishiro Itagaki when he signed the surrender of the Japanese Army.
On 15th August 1944, Victor was commissioned as a Warrant Ordnance Officer, whilst on board HMS Sussex.
He went on to serve with the ship until at least April 1946, according to period Navy Lists.
During his period on board, he would have earned his Pacific Clasp during this time.
“HMS Sussex spent 1944 in the Pacific, and covered operations in the Netherlands East Indies following the cessation of hostilities.
On 26th July 1945, her Task Force was attacked by 2 Attack Bombers acting as Kamikaze Suicide Weapons.
One made an imprint on the side of HMS Sussex, from which it could be identified as a Mitsubishi Ki-51 ‘Sonia’.
On Wednesday, 5th September 1945 at 11.30 am, HMS 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.”
THE NGS S.E. ASIA CLASP, HMS SUSSEX
During the immediate post war period, HMS Sussex was still stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
They saw further service in the nearby Dutch East Indies, being amongst the recipient of only about 2,000 clasps to this medal, for comparison the Yangtze Clasp numbered about 1450 clasps issued.
Naval-History.net’s section on HMS Sussex records:
HMS SUSSEX remained with the Eastern Fleet after VJ Day and provided cover for the landings of the 5th Indian Division at Soerabaya, Java with HM Destroyers CARRON, CAESAR and CAVALIER in November 1945. Before return to UK on 6 March she supported military operations against insurgents in Java. Nominated for use as a troopship she returned to Chatham late in March 1946
KOREAN WAR OF 1950-53, HMS BELFAST
During the Korean War, HMS Belfast saw significant combat, in fact by the end she had steamed over 80,000 miles in the combat zone and fired more than 8,000 rounds from her 6 inch guns.
Victor was shown as present on board HMS Belfast as her Senior Commissioned Ordnance Engineer as of March 1950.
As such he would have been on board during the entire operations of the ship including overseeing many bombardments, due to his Ordnance role.
She fired so many salvoes in fact that during 1952 she had to return back to Singapore in order to have her worn out barrels replaced, a careful task, which would have been part of the Job of Victor as the Senior Cd Ordnance Engineer.
An accurate 350-round bombardment launched from her 6 inch guns on 19th July 1950 to support troops around Yongdok, alongside USS Junea, led to her praise by an American Admiral as a “Straight-shooting ship.”
He transferred to HMS Excellent on 30th October 1952
THE NEAR EAST CLASP, SUEZ CRISIS OF 1956
During the “Suez Crisis” that brought about the issue of the clasp titled “Near East”, Victor was stationed on board HMS Ranpura.
V.W.J. Elliott served on board HMS Ranpura from around 23rd November 1954 until sometime in 1957.
The S.S. Ranpura, was a former P&O Line Passenger and Cargo carrying Ocean Liner, before she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 to become an Armed Merchant Cruiser. She was later sold to the Admiralty in 1943 and converted to a repair ship.
During the Suez Campaign, she served as a “Heavy Repair Ship” and had also served as a “Submarine Tender” according to Flottes de Combat.
She was under the command of Captain N.H. Pond at the time, and was stationed around Malta.
Formed part of Task Group 345.8 (Underway Replenishment Group Logistics Support Group.
Which consisted of:
Fleet tankers Tiderace, Tiderange
– Tankers Wave Baron, A 620 Elorn, A 625 La Baise
– Tanker Olna
– Replenishment ships RFA Retainer, Fort Sandusky
– Submarine tender Forth ( carried 2 Press Communications Squadron, Royal Signals to Port Said, other members of the squadron recall they flew to Cyprus)
– Heavy repair ship Ranpura
– Aviso ravitailleur d’aviation F 753 Marcel le Bihan
PERSONAL LIFE
Victor William Josiah Elliott, was born in Croydon, Surrey on 1st May 1917.
He Married during 1949 in Portsmouth, to Evelyn F. Holloway.
He died in Portsmouth, Hampshire, aged about 79 during April 1997.
