Leonard Tucker joined the Royal Navy in September 1930 as an Acting Engine Room Artificer (ERA) 4th Class, training in HMS Vivid. He served in numerous ships and shore establishments including HMS Lowestoft, which was operating from the China station prior to the start of the Second Sino Japanese War. In November 1938 Tucker was promoted to Chief ERA while serving in HMS Drake. He also trained as an Artificer Diver.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Tucker was serving in HMS Drake but was soon posted to HMS Adventure and remained there for the duration. Adventure served as a mine layer in the North Sea and Western Approaches and also took part in operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. During the Normandy Landings, Adventure was deployed as a support and repair vessel sending repair parties ashore. During the war Tucker was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) twice, once in 1943 and again in 1945.
After the war, Tucker continued to serve with the Royal Navy in HM Ships Devonshire, Raleigh, and Mull of Galloway. In 1954 he began a loan service contract with the Royal New Zealand Navy. He served as Watch Keeping Engine Officer in HMNZ Ships Bellona and Black Prince. He retired from naval service in June 1956 and remained in New Zealand with his wife, former Wren, Kathleen. Kathleen’s medals are also on display here.
Note: The medals here are displayed in the order in which they were donated to the museum, representing how they were worn by their recipients. In this case, Tucker’s United Nations Korea Medal and Korea Medal are mounted incorrectly and should be in the opposite order to how they are currently mounted.
The 1939-45 Star is the first in a series of eight campaign stars instituted in 1945 to recognise service in World War Two. The ribbon has three equal vertical stripes of dark blue, red and light blue. The dark blue stripe symbolises the service of the Navy and the Merchant Navy, the red stripe symbolises the service of the Army, and the light blue stripe symbolises the service of the Air Force. The equal width bands represent the equal contributions of the three service arms towards victory. The ribbon was devised by King George VI. Two clasps could be awarded with this medal: ‘Battle of Britain’ and ‘Bomber Command’. Only aircrew would qualify for these clasps although a small number of Fleet Air Arm naval pilots flew for the air force and would be eligible for the ‘Battle of Britain’ clasp.
The Atlantic Star was awarded for service during the Second World War. It was instituted to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic the longest continuous military campaign in the Second World War running from 3 September, 1939 – 8 May, 1945. Six months naval service or four months air service in the Atlantic, United Kingdom (‘home’) waters or North Russian waters was normally required. The ribbon is watered silk coloured blue, white and green, symbolising service in the oceans. Two clasps could be awarded with this medal: ‘France and Germany’ and ‘Air Crew Europe’. Personnel issued the Atlantic Star who then qualified for either the France and Germany and the Air Crew Europe Stars were awarded a clasp in respect of the second only (as only one clasp could be worn on the star).
The Africa Star was awarded in the Second World War for service in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. The ribbon is pale buff in colour, with a central vertical red stripe, and narrower stripes, one dark blue and the other light blue. The pale buff background symbolises the desert, the central red stripe symbolises the Army, the dark blue stripe symbolises the Navy and Merchant Navy, and the light blue stripe symbolises the Air Force. Three clasps could be awarded with this medal: ‘North Africa 1942-43’, ‘8th Army’, and ‘1st Army’. Naval personnel could only qualify for the ‘North Africa 1942-43’ clasp – for in shore service.
The Italy Star was awarded for operational service in Italy and adjacent countries in the Second World War between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945. No clasps were awarded. The ribbon uses the national colours of Italy; red, white and green as seen on the flag.
The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded across the British Commonwealth to all full-time members of the Armed Forces in the Second World War for 28 days service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945, irrespective of where they were serving. The ribbon is the red, white, and blue of the (British) Union Flag. There is a narrow central red stripe with a narrow white stripe on either side. There are broad red stripes at either edge, the two intervening stripes being blue.
A bronze oak leaf on the medal ribbon denotes that the recipient was Mentioned in Despatches. To be Mentioned in Despatches a member of the armed forces had their name mentioned in an official report, written by a superior officer, and sent to a higher command. The report would describe the individual’s gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.
The United Nations Medal (Korea) was awarded for service during the Korean War and the year following the armistice (July 1950 to July 1954). It was the first international award created by the United Nations and features the UN emblem of a projection map of the world between two olive branches. The medal recognises the service of all military troops participating as part of the UN forces in Korea and was manufactured in the language of each country. It was also awarded to a limited range of civilians whose organisations were certified by the United Nations Commander-in-Chief as having directly supported military operations in Korea between 1950 and 1954.
This medal was instituted in 1951, to recognise the service of Commonwealth troops in the Korean War between 2 July 1950 and 27 July 1953. It is sometimes referred to as the Queen’s Korea Medal to differentiate it from the United Nations Korea Medal. For naval forces, qualification is 28 days or more afloat in the operational area or at least one day of shore duty. The medal’s reverse features Hercules wrestling the Hydra – a symbolic representation of communism. The ribbon has alternating yellow and blue stripes. Blue represents the United Nations.
Awarded to ratings who have served a minimum of 15 years in the Royal Navy (previously 21 or 10 years), the first version of this medal was instituted in 1831 and it is still issued to Royal Navy personnel today. It features the reigning monarch’s head on the obverse and HMS Victory on the reverse with the recipient’s details engraved or impressed on the edge of the medal. This medal was also issued to eligible personnel serving in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy from 1921-1941 and then to Royal New Zealand Navy personnel from 1941-1981. In 1985 a New Zealand Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was introduced bearing the exact same design.
