The Hero Himself

HOWELL, James W, Petty Officer, RFR, C/J 37269

When the King pinned the George Medal on his chest for bomb disposal heroism, Petty Officer Jim Howell, of the corvettes, was a proud man.
He walked out of Buckingham Palace with his wife and daughter, remembering how the King had said "Well done"
A day or two later the corvette Pintail sailed into the sea war zone.
Petty Officer Howell, G.M, was aboard, and he took his George medal with him.
The pintail never came back, she was sunk a fortnight after that visit to Buckingham Palace.
Petty Officer Howell went down with his ship, with him went his George Medal.

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Frances Howell, his daughter, wrote to me yesterday, "My mother applied for a duplicate. She got it all right."
But to obtain it we had to pay ten shillings.
We had to pay that for his honour to be returned to us."

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The Admiralty admits that that is the system in such cases. The reason ?
There is a fleet Order which lays it down that medals must not be taken to sea.