CAMPAIGN GROUPS AND PAIRS 324
Three: Commander G. R. Nixon, Royal Navy, who was swept off the bridge and lost overboard from H.M. S. Albemale during a freak storm on 7 November 1915
1914-15 STAR (Commr. G. R. Nixon. R.N.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (Commr. G. R. Nixon. R.N.) extremely fine (3) £180-220
George Russell Nixon was born in Wyke Regis, Dorset, in July 1880, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis W. Nixon, Royal Engineers, and Edith E. R. Nixon, and the grandson of the first Bishop of Tasmania, the Rt. Rev. F. R. Nixon. He enrolled in 1894 and was appointed a Midshipman on passing out of Britannia in April 1896 and advanced to Lieutenant in December 1901. Awarded the Africa General Service Medal for the Somaliland operations 1902-04, for services aboard H.M.S. Hermione, he qualified as a Torpedo Officer in the following year and was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in December 1909. Despite persistent problems with his back (lumbago) and later a dislocated right shoulder and injured hand, requiring treatment in Haslar and Osborne, he was appointed to the battleship H.M.S. Albemarle in 1913 and by August of 1914 he was declared fit. He was promoted to Commander in June 1915, however, on 6 November 1915 H.M.S. Albemarle left Scapa Flow to sail to the Mediterranean with a division of the 3rd Battle Squadron. At 02.27 on the morning of the 7 November, while in the Pentland Firth, the ships encountered extremely heavy weather and Albemarle, heavily loaded with spare ammunition, was struck by two large seas in rapid succession and suffered severe damage. The seas wrecked her fore-bridge and chart house, shifted the roof of her conning tower and flooded her forward main gun turret, mess decks and flats. Commander George Russell Nixon and Able Seaman George Stroud were swept off the bridge. Chief Petty Officer Aiken was also killed and three officers and sixteen men seriously injured by wreckage. Two of the injured ratings later died. Albemarle accompanied by Zealandia and assisted by Hibernia returned to Scapa Flow for repairs and to transfer the injured men to the hospital ship Plassey for further treatment. Nixon has no known grave and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and additionally on the Rogate War Memorial. His brother, Oswald Nixon, 70th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was killed in action on 17 September 1916.
325
Three: Naval Cadet F. A. Cooper, Royal Navy, killed in action, aged 15 years old, in H.M.S. Monmouth at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914
1914-15 STAR (Nl. Cdt. F. A. Cooper, R.N.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (Nl. Cdt. F. A. Cooper. R.N.) BWM letter ‘l’ mis-struck with ‘1’, extremely fine (3)
£500-600
Frederick Augustus Cooper was born in Carnavon, Wales, in January 1899, the son of Major A. F. Cooper, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He joined the Britannia Royal Naval College in January 1914. Cooper was mobilised as a Naval Cadet/Acting Midshipman in August 1914, and posted for service during the Great War with H.M.S. Monmouth.
Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers H.M.S. Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser H.M.S. Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas.
In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of British armoured cruisers’ casemate guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk with all hands; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness.
Naval Cadet Cooper is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, and the Britannia Royal Naval College Memorial. 326
Three: Petty Officer Second Class E. Comper, Royal Navy, killed in action on H.M. Trawler Princess Beatrice, 5 October 1914
1914-15 STAR (184365 E. Comper P. O. 2 R. N.); BRITISHWAR ANDVICTORYMEDALS (184365 E. Comper. P. O. 2 R. N.), minor contact marks, good very fine (3)
£140-180
Ernest James Comper was born in 1879 in Horsham, Sussex, and joined the Royal Navy in 1897 as Boy Second Class. He was advanced to Petty Officer Telegraphist before joining the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1905. He re-enrolled in 1910 and served during the Great War in H.M. Trawler Princess Beatrice, an unarmed trawler used as a minesweeper of the Dover Patrol, from 27 August 1914. He was killed in action along with 10 other crew when the Princess Beatrice hit a mine near the Belgian coast on 5 October 1914, and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent. He is also commemorated on the Dover War Memorial, the St James Church Memorial, Streatham, and St. Mary The Virgin Parish Church Memorial, Dover.
327 Family Group:
Three: Able Seaman G. A. Bond, Royal Navy, who was killed in action at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, aboard H.M.S. Queen Mary 1914-15 STAR (J.16403. G. A. Bond. A.B., R.N.); BRITISHWAR ANDVICTORYMEDALS (J.16403 G. A. Bond. A.B. R.N.) good very fine
VICTORY MEDAL 1914-19 (T4-070658 Dvr. G. Bond. A.S.C.) very fine (4) £300-400
George Alfred Bond was born on 20 October 1894 at Haggerston, London, and joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class on 23 March 1912. Advanced Ordinary Seaman, 20 October 1912, he transferred to H.M.S. Queen Mary on 4 September 1913, and served in her during the Great War. Promoted Able Seaman on 24 August 1914, he was killed in action at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. During the battle H.M.S. Queen Mary, under the command of Captain C. I. Prowse, engaged the Derfflinger, putting one of her turrets out of action, and then scored four hits on SMS Seydlitz. The German battlecruiser hit back striking ´Q´ turret before sending more 12 inch shells to hit near ´A´ and ´B´ turrets before scoring another hit on ´Q´ turret. Queen Mary´s forward magazine exploded, the ship listed to port and began to sink amid more explosions. 1,266 of the crew went down with her, with only 18 men surviving. Bond is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Sold with the Introduction Register and relevant Memorial Register for the Portsmouth Naval Memorial and a large portrait of the recipient.
www.dnw.co.uk
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