Alfred Edward Sephton
Petty Officer, Royal Navy
- Register No.
- 1125 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Petty Officer all Petty Officers →
- Unit
- Royal Navy (register: HMS Coventry) all HMS Coventry VCs →
- Date of action
- 18 May 1941 on this day → all of 1941 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- the 2nd December 1941 on this day → all of 1941 →
- Born
- 19th April 1911 at Warrington, Lancashire
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- Buried at sea, 20th May 1941. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial
- Medal held by
- VC Medal's Custodian was Coventry Cathedral, until it was stolen
Digest of citation
Petty Officer Sephton was a director layer on HMS Coventry, when she was attacked by two German Stuka aircraft, as she was going to the assistance of a hospital ship, on 18th May 1941. He was mortally wounded when the ship was raked by fire and although faint from loss of blood, he continued bravely to do his duty until the enemy aircraft were driven off. Until his death, from the wounds, he continued with a valiant and cheerful spirit to give encouragement to the wounded. He had insisted that Able Seaman Fisher, his fellow crewman, who had been wounded by the same bullet that had passed clean through Petty Officer Sephton, be attended to first
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SEPHTON, Alfred Edward. (reg No. 1125).
Petty Officer. Royal Navy.
London Gazetted on the 2nd December 1941.
VC Medal's Custodian was Coventry Cathedral, until it was stolen in 1982.
Born on 19th April 1911 at Warrington, Lancashire.
Died of his wounds on 19th May 1941 off Crete.
Buried at sea, 20th May 1941. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Digest of Citation reads: Petty Officer Sephton was a director layer on HMS Coventry, when she was attacked by two German Stuka aircraft, as she was going to the assistance of a hospital ship, on 18th May 1941. He was mortally wounded when the ship was raked by fire and although faint from loss of blood, he continued bravely to do his duty until the enemy aircraft were driven off. Until his death, from the wounds, he continued with a valiant and cheerful spirit to give encouragement to the wounded. He had insisted that Able Seaman Fisher, his fellow crewman, who had been wounded by the same bullet that had passed clean through Petty Officer Sephton, be attended to first.
in 1982.
Died of his wounds on 19th May 1941 off Crete.
Register note: Died of wounds
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Buried at sea, 20th May 1941. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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