A COLLECTION of medals awarded to a teenage seaman for bravery during the Second World War are going up at auction.

Five gallantry medals awarded to war survivor Ian Alastair Clark will be sold by auctioneers Charterhouse in Sherborne on June 9 and 10.

Apprentice Ian Alastair Clark was born in South Africa in 1924 and signed up to help the war effort in 1941 aged just 17.

In 1942 he was sent to sea and made his first full voyage on the Congella. The next year, the Congella was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine. The ship’s master was mortally wounded and issued the order to abandon the burning ship. Clark, 18 at the time, stood by his dying master while rendering what help he could.

He was one of the last to abandon ship and took charge of a damaged lifeboat. After four days and 180 miles of sailing, he and 29 others were rescued.

For his actions, Clark was awarded a British Empire Medal and also a rare Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea among others.

Charterhouse founder Richard Bromell said: “As an apprentice he was under training and yet ended up taking command of the situation despite there being officers about. The market for medals and militaria remains strong and we expect this group to sell towards £1,000.”

Visit charterhouse-auction.com for more information.