A fine Battle-Cruiser 'Far East' Wind-Up Operations 'Netherlands East Indies' B.E.M. and Second World War group of eight to a Veteran of he Arctic Convoys: Able Seaman Cecil Frederick Ivor Levell, B.E.M., H.M.S. Nigeria late H.M.S. Cumberland

- British Empire Medal, Military Division, G.VI.R. (AB. Cecil. F. I. Levell. C/JX. 129509)
- The 1939-45 Star
- The Atlantic Star
- The Africa Star. With clasp 'North Africa 1942-43'
- The Burma Star. With clasp 'Pacific'
- War Medal 1939-45
- Naval General Service Medal 1918-62. GVI issue with clasp 'S. E. Asia 1945-46' (D/JX 129509. C. F. I. Levell. A.B. R.N.)
- Naval LS&GC Medal. GVI 1st issue (JX 129509 C. F. I. Levell. A.B. H.M.S. Cumberland.)

British Empire Medal (Military), was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette issue of 11 June 1946, and award for Operations in the Far East

The preamble to the award states:

Quote,

The KING has been graciously .pleased to approve the award of the British Empire Medal (Military Division) to the undermentioned for distinguished service during the war in the Far East: —

Unquote

Medals and clasps verification: All 8 x medals and both clasps are confirmed as entitled per an accompanying letter form the Ministry of Defence

Cecil Frederick Ivor Levell was a native of Marylebone, London, England, where he was born on, 28 November 1910. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in November 1928 as a Boy 2nd Class, doing his initial training on Ganges, later serving on the Capital Battleships H.M.S. Marlborough and H.M.S. Repulse

During the Second World War, Cecil served variously - including return deployments - on the Light-Cruiser H.M.S. Nigeria from 3 September 1940 to 25 June 1941, and the Heavy-Cruiser H.M.S. Cumberland, which latter he served aboard for a period from 23 September 1941. He ended his War service in South East Asia in 1945, serving aboard H.M.S. Nigeria

H.M.S. Nigeria: Nigeria served in Home waters and off the Scandinavian coast for the early part of the war. On 28 June 1941 Nigeria, in company with the destroyers Bedouin, Tartar and Jupiter intercepted the German weather ship Lauenburg in thick fog north-east of Jan Mayen Island. The German ship was detected through the use of HF/DF. The crew of Lauenburg abandoned ship after they were fired upon, allowing the British to board her. Valuable codebooks and parts of the Enigma machine were found aboard and recovered. This was one of the earliest captures of Enigma material of the war, and came a few weeks after the destroyer Bulldog had captured the first complete Enigma machine from the German submarine U-110 on 9 May 1941. Nigeria was latterly assigned to operate in the Mediterranean. On 12 August 1942 she was participating in Operation Pedestal, escorting a convoy bound for Malta. She was the flagship of the close escort group, commanded by Admiral Harold Burrough. Nigeria was torpedoed and damaged by the Italian submarine Axum but managed to make it back to Gibraltar escorted by three destroyers. 52 crew were killed in the attack. Admiral Burrough meanwhile transferred his flag to the destroyer Ashanti whilst Nigeria returned to Gibraltar. Later 'Nigeria' operated off the South African coast, and on 12 March 1943 she picked up 30 survivors from the American merchant James B. Stephens that was torpedoed and sunk on 8 March 1943 by the German submarine U-160 about 150 nautical miles (280 km) north-east of Durban. Nigeria was then assigned to operate with the Eastern Fleet from February 1944 until December 1945, when she returned to the UK to be refitted. During her time in the far east, she participated in raids on Sumatra

H.M.S. Cumberland: In October 1941, Cumberland joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron Home Fleet escorting the Arctic convoys until January 1944, winning the battle honour Arctic 1942-1943. She was then transferred to the Far East, as part of 4th Cruiser Squadron Eastern Fleet. In September, she carried out raids on Northern Sumatra. During this period, Cumberland won the battle honours Sabang 1944 and Burma 1945. On 7 February 1945, Cumberland was back in Simonstown to have her rudder repaired She returned to the United Kingdom on 12 November 1945 and transported troops until June 1946, when she was placed in reserve until 1949

At the end of the Pacific War and during the immediate Post-War 'Wind-Up' operations in South East Asia, Cecil Levell was present. Naval services in this period included, the re-occupation of Singapore Colony, Malaya and Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Both H.M.S Nigeria (Sumatra / Sabang) and H.M.S. Cumberland (Java / Batavia) were in theatre where the ships and the ships crew were involved in clearing and disarming Japanese forces, distribution of supplies, and the important repatriation and evacuation of former allied Far East Prisoners-of-War, whose lives were imperilled by nationalist Indonesian forces who had declared independence and were resisting the re-occupation efforts by the returning colonial powers. 'Seedie's' registers of Second World War awards to British, Empire and Commonwealth naval and merchant navies, shows that the BEM was sent to the recipient when serving on H.M.S. Nigeria. Cecil was also awarded a scarce issue of the 'South East Asia 1945-46' clasp to his Naval General Service Medal. Cecil's other post-war postings included but were not restricted to H.M.S. Unicorn and H.M.S. Cochrane. Cecil was discharged to shore on 10 February 1953 having been awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in 1943. He is recorded to have died at London, England, sometime during February 1973

The recipients Naval service sheets are extant are are held & accessible at The National Archives

Sold together with some hard-copy photocopied research including the recipients Naval 'Service Sheets' and a letter from the Ministry of Defence confirming the recipients medals and clasps entitlement

The medals mounted in the court-style on card, for display-purpose

Condition: GVF

Code: 24095