Miscellaneous 574
The Memorial Plaque and Messina Earthquake Medal to Leading Stoker F. C. Rowe, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Good Hope was sunk at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914
Memorial Plaque (Frank Charles Rowe) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure; Italy, Kingdom, Messina Earthquake Medal 1908, silver, unnamed as issued, edge bruise to last, generally very fine (2)
£140-£180
Frank Charles Rowe was born in Kensington, London, on 1 January 1888 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 10 August 1903. Advanced Stoker First Class on 5 September 1907, he served in H.M.S. Euryalus from 10 September 1907 to 3 May 1909, and took part in the rescue operations following the Messina Earthquake on 28 December 1908. Advanced Leading Stoker on 1 June 1914, he served in H.M.S. Good Hope from 1 August 1914, and was killed in action on 1 November 1914 when H.M.S. Good Hope was sunk during the Battle of Coronel.
Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, R.N., 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 the British armoured cruisers’ casement 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; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness.
Rowe is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. 575 Memorial Plaque (Thomas Arthur Watterson) mounted for display in a circular wooden frame, good very fine £100-£140 D.S.C. London Gazette 2 November 1917: ‘In recognition of his services in submarines in enemy waters.’
Thomas Arthur Watterson, a native of Wallasey, Cheshire, was born in 1890 and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve on 1 July 1914. Promoted Lieutenant on 1 July 1916, he served during the Great War in submarines, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Watterson was killed on 31 January 1918 during the infamous night time fleet exercise later known as the ‘Battle of May Island’- on a misty night in the Firth of Forth five collisions occurred between eight vessels, and 104 sailors died. At the time K4 was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla- when attempting to avoid a collision with K3, she instead collided with K6 and K7, and was lost with all hands. Watterson is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
x576 Canadian Memorial Cross, G.V.R. (709392 Sgt. E. H. Luck.) good very fine £60-£80
Ernest Harold Luck was born in Rochester, Kent, on 9 April 1897 and having emigrated to Canada attested for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Sussex, New Brunswick, on 22 September 1915. He served with the 26th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regiment) during the Great War on the Western Front from 28 November 1916, and was killed in action on 15 August 1917. He is buried in Maroc British Cemetery, France.
x577
Victoria Cross, an official Hancocks & Co, London, replica, the reverse engraved ‘Hancocks 270’, in fitted leather case of issue, extremely fine
£300-£400
The Victoria Cross was instituted on 29 January 1856, with the first awards backdated to 1854, and in the first 150 years of its existence was awarded on 1,355 occasions (1,352 Crosses and 3 Second Award Bars).
To mark the 150th Anniversary, the London jewellers Hancocks, who have manufactured every Victoria Cross ever awarded, issued a limited edition replica, the replicas all individually numbered on the reverse, with the edition limited to 1,352 replica crosses.
Sold together with Hancocks Numbered Certificate of authenticity. 578
Baronet’s Badge of Nova Scotia, a fine and rare Georgian silk neck cravat, 80mm (3.25in) wide, 850mm (34in) overall length, complete with gold split ring for attaching badge and full-width 2-part gold ribbon fastening clasp, extremely good condition for age
£200-£300 579
Princess Mary Christmas 1914 Gift Tin, complete with original packets of tobacco and 19 monogrammed cigarettes; and Princess Mary Christmas Card, the inner lining of the tobacco split, otherwise good condition
£80-£120 580
A glazed copper framed portrait photograph of an unidentified member of the Royal Flying Corps in uniform with Royal Flying Corps cap badge affixed to the bottom of the frame, 28cm x 37cm, good condition
£20-£40
www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)
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