1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45 - unnamed as awarded with award slip in original box of issue addressed to Mr C.S. Hearson, 58 Wansey Road, Walworth, London S.E. 17
Charles Stephen Hearson was born in Westminster, London in 1905. According to the 1939 Register he was a French Polisher to the trade and a Cellulose Worker living at 128 Glastonbury Road, Merton and Morden, Surrey.
He joined the Maritime Royal Artillery in WWII and saw service in the Atlantic and Far East - probably as a DEMS Gunner - he rose to the rank of Bombardier.
The Maritime RA had its beginnings in the early part of the war when the Admiralty requested
the Regiment to provide 500, 2 man Light Machine Gun teams for embarking on merchant coasters. Taking with them either Lewis or Bren guns, they were to provide Anti-Aircraft defence for the vessels.
With the increase in severity of attacks on shipping, the Maritime Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA was formed in 1941.
The numbers on board any individual ship varied from up to 30 on the large vessels down to 2 men in a small coaster. The average detachment on a Liberty ship was 7.
The gun crews could be a mix of Maritime RA, Royal Navy or Royal Marine personnel but the Bofors guns were always a solely Maritime RA responsibility.
As the number of men on any one ship was small they all had to be capable of handling every weapon on board. This could range from a 6 inch Naval Anti-Aircraft gun down to balloons and rockets. Many Maritime RA NCO’s proudly wore the Naval Gun Layers badge qualifying them to take charge of a detachment at sea along with all naval stores on board.
Men were issued with with their normal service equipment, naval sea kit, tropical kit and a set of civilian clothes for use in neutral ports. Personnel aboard ships on the North Russia convoys were also issued with special arctic kit.
He died in Havering, Essex in 1990.
Medals are in good condition unless indicated otherwise. Sold with copied research.
