Comes with hand-signed C.O.A. and full historical write-up

This bible was carried and saw action during Operation Overlord, Operation Husky, Operation Torch, Operation Avalanche, and Operation Lucid. 

This incredibly rare and museum-grade WWII artifact is a once-in-a-lifetime piece of D-Day history that was carried by a British Navy sailor who served aboard the HMS Hambledon (L37). HMS Hambledon (L37) as a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy and was commissioned as one of the first subgroups of the class and saw extensive combat action in the North Sea (1941-1944), English Channel 1943, Sicily 1943, Salerno 1943, Aegean 1944, Mediterranean 1944, and D-Day Normandy 1944. This bible also survived a German U-Boat attack in the Italian Theater as it evaded and hunted the German U-Boat submarine U-223. HMS Hambledon (L37) was credited with the sinking of U-Boat submarine U-223 at 38°48′00″N 014°10′00″E with the loss of 23 of the submarine's crew, leaving 27 survivors.

What makes this WWII sailor’s bible so rare is its service during Operation Overlord and the Allied D-Day landings on June 6th, 1944. While serving on the HMS Hambledon (L37) this British sailor carried this bible with him as he served during Operation Overlord with the 21st Destroyer Flotilla - designated to escort assault Convoy G16 to the coast of Normandy for the initial landing off Gold Beach. As a part of G Force, the crew of HMS Hambledon (L37) was tasked to defend against German defend it from German naval attack on the invasion transports such as LCI, LCT, LST, and LCM off GOLD and UTAH Beach. 

Full D-Day History of the HMS Hambledon (L37):

Upon arrival in the United Kingdom in May 1944, Hambledon was assigned to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness, designated to escort assault Convoy G16 to the coast of Normandy for the initial landing and then to remain off the beachhead to defend it from German naval attack as part of Force G. In early June 1944, she joined the other forces allocated to Force G in the west Solent.

After the landings were delayed from 5 June to 6 June due to bad weather, Hambledon departed for the landings along with the escort destroyer HMS Albrighton (L12) on 5 June 1944 as escort for Convoy G16, which consisted of nine infantry landing craft and two rescue craft. The convoy arrived off Gold Beach on 6 June 1944 and put its troops ashore, with Hambledon supporting the landing by bombarding German shore defenses. Later in the day, Hambledon steamed back to the Solent to escort Convoy EBP 2 bringing reinforcements and supplies to the beachhead, fighting an action against German S-boats south of the Isle of Wight along the way. On 7 June 1944, she joined the 112th Escort Group – made up of the frigates HMS Spragge (K572) and HMS Stockham (K562) and the sloop HMS Magpie (U82) – to escort EBP 2 – five troop transports carrying United States Army troops for discharge on Utah Beach, the headquarters ship for Mulberry B, and three smaller merchant ships – to Utah Beach, where the convoy arrived on 8 June 1944. Later that day, she was released from convoy escort duty and assigned to patrol and interception duties to defend the beachhead from German naval attack.

In July 1944, Hambledon was released from beachhead defense duties and reported to the 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for convoy defence operations in the North Sea and English Channel, which she conducted until March 1945.