WW2. Group of 3. Allen. R.N. Killed in action. H.M.S. Fidelity

Three: attributed to P/KX 108899. Stoker Class 1. W. Allan, Royal Navy, who was killed in the sinking of the Special Service Vessel H.M.S. Fidelity on 27 December 1942

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, sold together with a named presentation bible, handwritten 'In-Memoriam' card and photograph, good very fine (3)

Walter Allan was born at Newcastle on 23 September 1920, the son of Albert and Sarah Allan. Joining the Royal Navy as a Stoker, by December 1942 he was serving with the Special Service Vessel H.M.S. Fidelity. This vessel was originally used by the S.O.E. as a transport to recover agents dropped into France; Later she was converted for use with by the newly-developed Commandos.

Fidelity - along with T Company, 40 Commando - joined convoy ON154 which came under attack from U-Boats north of the Azores on 27 December 1942. Surviving the initial attack Fidelity was finally caught out by U-435commanded by Siegfried Strelow. Torpedoed twice, she sank with all hands and passengers on New Year's Day 1943, the only survivors being eight men in a motor boat detached on anti-submarine patrol. Oddly, Strelow's crew was credited not only with Fidelity but also with a 'kill' for each of her two landing craft.

Allan was with the crew aboard the ship and died during the sinking. He is commemorated upon the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; sold together with a postcard of the Naval Memorial, Southsea, a copy of 'Fidelity will Haunt Me Till I Die' by Peter Kingswell, and copied research comprising a Commonwealth War Graves Certificate and census data.