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The survival of a navy officer and his men who were saved from being machine-gunned in the water by a brave Red Cross pilot can be revealed after his medals emerged for sale.

Lieutenant Commander John Mammatt was on HMS Hareward when it was sunk five miles off Crete during the evacuation of the island in May 1941.

The vessel was swarmed by feared German Stuka dive-bombers which destroyed it in an aerial barrage.