Father & Son group. Father present at Jutland, son KIA Battle of Imphal 1944. 4Bn RW Kents in Groups

1915 Star with Victory Medal, sadly missing the BWM Correctly named J39898 FT Shelvey Boy 1 RN Frederick Thomas Shelvey was born to Edward and Alice in Deal, Kent in 1898. In 1911, we find Frederick as a schoolboy living at 78 College Road, North Deal, Kent. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in 1916 and his main posting was HMS Iron Duke. He is noted on the crewlist for the ship although his name is spelled Spelvey. Aboard the HMS Iron Duke from July 1915 until January 1918, Frederick was present with the 4th Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland. Iron Duke, the 9th ship in the line, is credited with 7 direct hits on SMS Konig causing significant damage. Later in the battle, she is credited with the sinking of SMS S35. Post war, Frederick married Grace Kitton in 1921 and later in 1961, Daisy Mary Jones. In 1939, we see Frederick living with Grace and his son Eric at Jan Bradel, Groby Road, Leicester. He is working as an ambulance driver. Frederick died in 1981. WWII unnamed Trio awarded to Eric Frederick Shelvey. Eric is seen living with his parents in 1939. He was born in 1923. He enlisted during WWII and served as 5891553 as a Private with the 4th Bn Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment. The Royal West Kents served in Burma after serving in the Mediterranean Theatre in North Africa and Italy. It would appear that Eric joined them in Burma as the Trio is his full entitlement. The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. Together with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima on the road by which the encircled Allied forces at Imphal were relieved, the battle was the turning point of the Burma campaign, part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. The Japanese defeat at Kohima and Imphal was the largest up until that time, with many of the Japanese deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat. Eric was killed on the 18th of March 1944 during the Battle of Imphal. That day is recorded as a day of heavy shelling from the Japanese Forces with many casualties to the 4th Bn RW Kents. He is buried at Tuakkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar. All the medals have original silk ribbons and Erics medals have their original transmittal box sent to his father.