A WW2 Naval Casualty group to Able Seaman A Owen / KIA Battle of the Barents Sea

1939/45 Star

Atlantic Star

Africa Star

War Medal

With condolence slip and box of issue

 

Condition GVF

 

Andrew Owen was born at Dunbarton, Dunbartonshire, on the 18th of June 1923. 

 

Serving as an Able Seaman on HMS Onslow, Owen was sadly killed in action on the 31st of December 1942 in the 'Battle of the Barents Sea', during an engagement between Onslow (flag) and the German heavy cruiser Hipper. 

 

Whilst sailing off North Cape, Norway, Arctic Convoy JW 51A was intercepted by a superior German raiding force, including the Hipper. Captain R. St. V. Sherbrooke DSO, captain of HMS Onslow and escort commander, immediately closed with the German raider despite being heavily outgunned and, by feigning a torpedo attack, caused the Hipper to break off the action. Over the next two hours, Hipper made three attempts to close with the convoy, but on each occasion, Onslow maintained its position and, by placing itself between convoy and raider, kept the Hipper out of range. After 40 minutes, Onslow received the first of three direct hits, one 8 inch shell badly damaging the bridge and engine room, killing 17 crew members and severely wounding its captain, who despite losing an eye continued to engage the Hipper, which eventually broke off the action under cover of smoke. For his conspicuous gallantry, Sherbrooke was awarded the Victoria Cross. He later credited the award to the bravery of his fellow Onslow crew members. 

 

Sherbrooke’s VC citation provides further details of the action: ‘Captain Sherbrooke, in H.M.S Onslow, was the Senior Officer in command of the destroyers escorting an important convoy bound for North Russia. On the morning of 31st December, off the North Cape, he made contact with a greatly superior enemy force which was attempting to destroy the convoy. Captain Sherbrooke led his destroyers into attack and closed the enemy. Four times the enemy tried to attack the convoy, but was forced each time to withdraw behind a smokescreen to avoid the threat of torpedoes, and each time Captain Sherbrooke pursued him and drove him outside gun range of the convoy and towards our covering forces. These engagements lasted about two hours, but after the first forty minutes, H.M.S. Onslow was hit, and Captain Sherbrooke was seriously wounded in the face and temporarily lost the use of one eye. Nevertheless, he continued to direct the ships under his command until further hits on his own ship compelled him to disengage, but not until he was satisfied that the next Senior Officer had assumed control. It was only then that he agreed to leave the bridge for medical attention, and until the convoy was out of danger, he insisted on receiving all reports of the action. His courage, his fortitude and his cool and prompt decisions inspired all around him. By his leadership and example, the convoy was saved from damage and was brought safely to its destination.

 

 

Andrew Owen has no known grave, and his name is commemorated on the Plymouth Memorial.