Original WW1 & WW2 British Medals - KIA German submarine U-105 For Sale

A Great War, World War Two Mercantile Marine/Merchant Navy Convoy Casualty Group of 5 awarded to Chief Engineer Officer William Rutherford Smith, who was Killed in Action when the S.S. Benwyvis was torpedoed by U-105 on the 30th of March 1941 – Convoy SL-68 – comprising, 1914–1920 British War Medal (William R. Smith), 1914–1918 Mercantile Marine Medal (William R. Smith), 1939–45 Star, Atlantic Star, 1939–45 War Medal, all unnamed as issued, extremely fine.

At 00.46 hours on 21 March 1941, U-105 attacked convoy SL-68 north of the Cape Verde Islands and sank the Clan Ogilvy and Benwyvis.

The master, 32 crew members and one gunner from the Benwyvis (Master Henry John Small) were lost. 17 crew members and three gunners were picked up by the King Edgar and landed at Freetown. One crew member was rescued after 28 days in an open boat by a French ship and landed at Madagascar.

U-105, Korvettenkapitan George Schewe, was one of the most successful U-Boats of World War Two. The patrol of U-105 in Spring 1941 in the Atlantic, when Benwyvis was sunk, U-105 sank 12 ships with a total of 71,450 tons, 5 from convoy SL-68. It was the second most successful patrol of the whole war. Korvettenkapitan George Schewe was awarded the Knights Cross on the 23rd of May 1941.

Chief Engineer Officer William Rutherford Smith is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. He was the son of James and Theresa Smith and the husband of Lilian A. Smith of Edinburgh. He was 43 years old when he died.

Sold with original boxes, packets and envelopes for the Mercantile Marine Pair, glassine packets and Board of Trade Bestowal/Condolence slip (William R. Smith), copy photograph of ship, details of Convoy SL-68, copy photograph of Korvettenkapitan George Schewe, copy Mercantile Marine Medal card, copy Merchant Navy WW2 Medal entitlement sheet, details of U-105.