#!,@!1>=">CBH@<"!=A"@!1C<
548
A rare British War and Victory Medal pair awarded to Driver A. Hobbs, 420th Battery Royal Field Artillery, who
drowned in the Jolly Roger incident on Lake Onega, south of Murmansk, on 8 July 1919
BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (8796 Dvr., R.A.) nearly extremely fine (2) £200-250
The Jolly Roger was a 40-foot American-built submarine chaser with a speed of 30 knots armed with one 3-pdr. semi-automatic naval
gun borrowed from a French armoured train, seven Vicker's Machine Guns mounted on tripods and two Lewis Guns. The Captain of
the Jolly Roger was Captain Herbert Francis Littledale, R.G.A.; his second in command was 2nd Lieutenant William Colston Wannell,
R.A.S.C. The ship’s crew was made up of R.F.A. N.C.O’s. and men from 420th Bty., with one R.E. Corporal from the Syren Force Signal
Company. The ship was a component of the Onega Lake Flotilla, part of the Murmansk Force.
On 10 June 1919, the Jolly Roger proceeded to Shunga and was sent north to shell the village of Fedotova, which she accomplished,
destroying a bridge and killing 30 Bolsheviks. Throughout June 1919 she bombarded enemy villages and transported troops, guns and
supplies to the troops at Shunga. On 8 July 1919 "the Jolly Roger was proceeding on a reconnaissance when a large explosion occurred
in her starboard petrol tank. The force of the explosion blew three men and two Vickers guns overboard, and in a second the whole of
the mid-ship portion of the vessel was burning furiously. The mechanics were assisted out of the engine room which was full of flames
and an attempt was made to run her ashore. When about one mile from the shore, however, the engines stopped, and although most of
the ammunition had been thrown overboard, one box, containing lyddite, had become ignited, and it was, therefore necessary to
"abandon ship." All ranks behaved magnificently, men who could swim volunteering to assist men who could not, and of these there
were a large proportion. Five men were unfortunately drowned, including two of those blown overboard. The remainder swam ashore
safely, except four, who were picked up by a seaplane which had been sent out to ascertain the cause of the heavy column of smoke,
caused by the explosion and subsequent fire."
Littledale was subsequently commended in the report made by the aircrew of the R.A.F. seaplanes of the incident: ‘Capt Littledale who
had been in the water about 40 minutes had during the whole of this time been supporting one of his crew (an elderly man unable to
swim and who was exhausted). His splendid action most assuredly saved this man’s life.’
Capt. Littledale and 2nd Lieutenant Wannell were both subsequently awarded the Military Cross; Littledale’s being published in the
London Gazette without citation on 3 February 1920 ‘For distinguished service in connection with Military Operations in Murmansk,
North Russia.’ and Wannell’s on 3 October 1919, the citation reading, ‘When carrying out a reconnaissance on Lake Onega on 8th
July, 1919, in close touch with enemy vessels, the motor-boat caught fire and a petrol tank exploded. Though badly shaken himself he
assisted three wounded mechanics on to the upper deck, and then returned to the engine room and drove the one engine, which was
still working, until the boat was within a mile of the shore, when a second explosion wrecked her. His pluck and devotion to duty in
driving the engine, at great risk to himself, got the boat near the shore and saved lives.’
Captain Littledale was also awarded the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for his bravery in saving the life of one of the men who
could not swim by keeping him afloat until they were rescued.
Driver Arthur Hobbs, R.F.A. had entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 31 May 1915 (entitled to the 1914-15 Star). Hobbs and
the four other men who were killed in the Jolly Roger incident are commemorated on the Archangel Memorial to the Missing.
Captain. Herbert Francis Littledale, R.G.A. wrote an article some time after the Jolly Roger incident entitled Gunners as Sailors on the
Murmansk Front, published in the Royal Artillery journal “The Gunner”.
549
Pair: Sapper W. Harfield, Royal Engineers
BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (174922 Spr., R.E.) nearly extremely fine (2) £30-40
William Harfield was born in Cheriton, Hampshire, lived in Liss and enlisted at London. Serving as a Sapper with the Railway
Operating Division of the Royal Engineers, he died in Egypt on 7 November 1918, aged 34 years. He was buried in the Alexandria
(Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery. He was the son of William Mary Anne Harfield of Easton, Winchester, Hants. With copied m.i.c.
550
Pair: Captain C. A. Cooper, Devonshire Regiment
BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (Capt.); together with a mounted set of three miniature dress medals: Order of the British
Empire, M.B.E., 2nd type, military; British War and Victory Medals; Royal Engineers cap badge (2)
BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914-20 (37942 Pte. H. P. Price, Som. L.I.) medals nearly extremely fine (lot) £200-250
Other officers with the initials and name ‘C. A. Cooper’ in the 1918 Army List; only one with the rank of Captain - serving in the 6th
Battalion Devonshire Regiment. With medal card box of issue together with a lid from another card box, and with a quantity of original
photographs. The pair may possibly be associated with the group of three miniatures. Together with a book, King Edward’s Realm, by
Rev. C. S. Dawe, B.A., with bookplate from the ‘Borough of Paddington’ to ‘Aubrey Cooper’, and with a ‘Decree of the Provisional
Government of the Northern Region’ (in English) which lists (amongst others) the award of the Order of St. Anne 3rd Class with swords
and ribbon to a ‘Lieutenant Cecil Cooper, British Army’. Army Honours and Awards lists the award of an M.B.E. to a Temporary 2nd
Lieutenant C. A. Cooper, R.E.
Harold Price was born in and enlisted at Worcester, initially serving with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. Serving with the 6th
Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, he died in France/Flanders on 25 May 1918. He was buried in the Annois Communal Cemetery,
Aisne, France. In May and June, 1918, a German field hospital for prisoners was at Flavy-le-Martel, and soldiers from the United
Kingdom who died in the hospital were buried in Annois Communal Cemetery.
551
Pair: Quartermaster Serjeant A. W. Henry, Canadian Field Artillery
BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (85102 Q.M. Sjt., C.F.A.)
Pair: Private W. H. Kenward, Army Service Corps
1914-15 STAR (SS.15700 Pte., A.S.C); BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914-20 (15700 Pte., A.S.C.) official correction to second initial;
these two associated with a DEFENCE MEDAL, Canadian issue in silver; and WAR MEDAL 1939-45, cupro-nickel, both
unnamed, very fine and better (6) £40-60
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176