WW2 Casualty Group to Lt Commander Tompkins RN.

An extensive lot of medals, original paperwork and insignia all relating to J102713 Lieutenant Commander Alexander George Edward Tompkins Royal Navy.
Alexander Tompkins was born on 24th June 1904 in Londonderry Ireland. At the age of 18 he was resident of Newbridge, Swanage and enlisted into the Royal Navy in June 1922 as Boy II. He worked hard and rose through the ranks becoming a RN gunner 1st class by 1928 and Petty Officer Gunner by 1930. In 1931 he was recommended for a commission and took the various exams which lead him to the rank of Lieutenant gunner, his marks being classed as excellent. Before the war he saw service on such ships as, HMS Dauntless, Emperor of India, Warspite and Ajax and when WW2 broke out, he was serving on HMS Bangor as Gunnery Officer. On 18th November 1940 Bangor was assigned to the 9th Minesweeping Flotilla (MSF) based at Scapa Flow. On 12 February she was bombed whilst in the Moray Firth. No damage was done but her W/T was out of action, and she retired to Aberdeen for repairs. In March 1941, the 9th MSF transferred to the Portsmouth Command. On the morning of 19 May, Bangor and a group of minesweeping trawlers were attacked by nine Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Three bombs were dropped, aimed at Bangor, Darthema and Computator from a 200 ft (61 m) low attack. Darthema and Computator both suffered minor damage from near misses with no casualties. Bangor and Darthema claimed to have damaged two of the aircraft, which both retired southwards, making smoke and losing height.
Around the early part of 1943, Tompkins became Lieutenant Commander of the newly built of HMS Newfoundland, in command of the gunnery and torpedo section, firstly in the Home Fleet, deployed in Bay of Biscay for interception of blockade runners and then it became the flagship of the 15th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean. On the night of 13th/14th July 1943, during Sicily Campaign, she provided effective support for 1st Parachute Brigade helping to secure the Primasole Bridge, linking Catania with Syra. On 23rd July 1943, she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Ascianghi, one crewman was killed in the attack. Her rudder having been blown off; temporary repairs were carried out at Malta.
In 1944 the ship was re-commissioned for service in the Far East and was sent to join the Pacific fleet, while near Alexandria an explosion occurred in one of the torpedo port tubes which caused severe damage and killing Lt Commander Tompkins. He was buried at sea, and he is now remembered with honour at Yealmpton (St Bartholomew) Churchyard, Devon.
His medals include the 1939/45-star, Atlantic star, Defence and War medal all in box of issue. He also should have been awarded the Italy star and the Royal Navy long service and good conduct medal, but I cannot find any evidence on his original service records or on the RN LS&GC medal roll that he received this award.
There is a mass of original paperwork, which includes certificate of service up to his commission 1931 and early conduct sheet. Commission and examination slips, transfer slips, gunnery exam reports, various other ephemera including programs, photographs and letter to his son Victor, and various original badges and insignia.
It is so sad, he was the only casualty in the incident and would of, I’m sure continue to rise through the ranks of the Royal Navy, probably retiring at a senior rank. Everything here is in good condition; the medals are mint and still in the wax papers and look as if they have never been out of the box.

Code: 29795