WW2 Gulf of Taranto Submarine Casualty Medal Group of Three - Stoker Petty Officer J.H. Gosling, Royal Navy, HM Submarine Odin

WW2 Gulf of Taranto Submarine Casualty Medal Group of Three - Stoker Petty Officer J.H. Gosling, Royal Navy, HM Submarine Odin

  • Product Code: MM-5527
  • Regiment: Royal Navy
  • Era: WW2
  • Availability:1

  • Price: £475.00


A well documented second world war Submarine Service casualty medal group awarded to C/K.61699 Stoker Petty Officer John Henry Gosling, Royal Navy, who was an inter-war submariner who was twice employed out on the China Station. Gosling was however then aboard the submarine Odin and operating from Alexandria and then Malta, when he was lost when Odin was depth charged and later rammed on surface by the Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno and sunk in the Gulf of Taranto on 13th June 1940. 

1939-45 Star unnamed as issued 
Africa Star unnamed as issued 
War Medal 1939-45 unnamed as issued 

Together with Admiralty condolence slip inscribed to 'John Henry Gosling'. 

The group comes with:

  • Buckingham Palace Condolence Slip, issued in sympathy to: ‘Mrs. H. Gosling’.
  • Admiralty Accounts letter concerning the loss of Gosling, presumed to have died aboard Odin on 27th Jun 1940, dated 12th September 1940.
  • Submarine Depot Fort Blockhouse Casualty Condolence and Sympathy to next-of-kin slip, inscribed in ink in memory of: ‘John H. Gosling, Stoker Petty Officer’, who gallantly gave his life for his King, his country and his home whilst aboard H.M.S. ‘Odin’ in 1940. A rare surviving submarine casualty document. This with its original envelope addressed to: ‘Mrs. H Gosling, 118 Eastworth Road, Chertsey, Surrey.’ Postdated for 30th September 1940.
  • Royal Navy Parchment Certificate of Service issued to John Henry Gosling,
  • Royal Navy Certificate for Education Test, Part 1, issued to Gosling, dated 4th March 1924.
  • Royal Navy Passing Certificate for Stoker Petty Officer, issued to Gosling, dated 8th April 1933.
  • Royal Navy Stoker Rating “Employment and Ability Record”. issue to Gosling.
  • 1930’s period set of reproduction photographs of submarine serving at Hong Kong, taken at a time when Gosling was presumably serving out there. The accompanying issued envelope inscribed to Gosling on the cover when he was serving as a Leading Stoker.
  • Accompanying letter for the photographs of the Submariners Memorial Chapel as sent by the Chaplain at Dolphin in Gosport, Hampshire, dated 17th May 1944. Sent to Mrs. Gosling. Together with both photographs.
  • Admiralty Letter to recipient’s widow, dated 23rd October 1945, and owing to hostilities having ceased, giving details as to the loss of Gosling and the circumstances of this whilst he was serving aboard the submarine Odin. Sent to the recipient’s widow at 118 Eastworth Road, Chertsey, Surrey.
  • Garth Memorial Hostel Order of Ceremony Pamphlet for the ceremony issued in memory of Lieutenant I.M. Anderson R.N., and the officers and men of H.M. Submarine Odin, as held on 29th September 1951. Also accompanying newsletter recording the event issued by the Scottish Youth Hostels Association in November 1951.
  • Singapore Union Jack Club Weekly Menu Sheet, believed to have been kept by Gosling whilst on service out there. Undated.
  • A locket photograph of the recipient when a baby together with his father.

John Henry Gosling was born on 11th May 1904 in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and having worked as a wood machinist, then joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (Chatham No.K61699) with Pembroke from 19th July 1923, being then advanced to Stoker 1st Class whilst with Bonbon on 26th June 1924, and he then volunteered for the Submarine Service on 8th November 1924 when posted to Dolphin. Posted to the submarine depot ship Lucia at Malta from 20th June 1925, he saw service in the Mediterranean aboard the submarine L56 from 1st April 1925, and having been posted to the depot ship Maidstone at Devonport from November 1926, then again joined L56 from 1st January 1927, and was with her when she rejoined Lucia from 15th November 1927, which depot ship was then operating from Devonport.

After service with Dolphin from April 1928, he was posted to the depot ship Vulcan at Blyth from September 1928, and then rejoined Dolphin for service aboard the submarine Oberon from 1st April 1929. Gosling then returned to service above the waves when posted to Pembroke from May 1930, and was with the destroyer Walpole when rated as an Acting Leading Stoker on 1st March 1932, and then with Pembroke was promoted to Leading Stoker on 8th April 1933.

Gosling then re-volunteered to rejoin the Submarine Service when posted back to Dolphin from 6th May 1933, and was aboard the submarine L52 from 16th June to 21st September 1933. Posted to Medway on the China Station with the Fourth Submarine Flotilla from 17th October 1933, he was still out there when appointed to Acting Stoker Petty Officer on 7th January 1935, and then left the China Station and rejoined Dolphin from 11th December 1935, being promoted to Stoker Petty Officer on 7th January 1936. Gosling was serving with Dolphin as part of ‘Red 1 Group’ from 22nd February 1936, and then joined the submarine Otway from 4th May 1936 until 16th February 1937. Seeing service with Dolphin and aboard the submarine Oberon from 2nd March to 24th July 1937, he then transferred back to Medway out on the China Station from 6th September 1937, and was there on the outbreak of the Second World War.

Gosling then transferred back to Devonport to the depot ship Lucia on 25th October 1939, and on Medway being transferred to Alexandria in Egypt, then joined that depot ship there on 17th April 1940, he being by then aboard the submarine Odin under the command of Lieutenant I.M. Anderson and operating as part of the 1st Submarine Flotilla. Having transferred with Odin to St Angelo at Malta from 1st May 1940, Gosling was still aboard Odin when she was depth charged and later rammed on surface by the Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno and sank in the Gulf of Taranto on 13th June 1940. Having no known grave, Gosling is commemorated by name on the Chatham Naval Memorial, leaving behind a widow living in Chertsey, Surrey. Confirmed as his full entitlement.

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Tags: WW2 Medals, World War Two, Second World War, WWII, Military Medals, Naval Medals, Royal Navy, Campaign Medals, Casualty Medals, KIA Medals, Submarines

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