Five: Leading Seaman H. Beck, a recipient of the Russian St. George’s Medal for Bravery for Jutland

1914-15 Star (184613 H. Beck, L.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (184613 H. Beck, L.S., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (184613 Henry Beck, Ldg. Smn., H.M.S. Blenheim); Russia, St. George’s Medal for Bravery, 4th Class, silver, the reverse officially numbered ‘1272964’, very fine and better (5) £600-800

Henry Beck was born in St. Helier, Jersey, in January 1880, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in August 1895. Advanced to Leading Seaman in May 1905, he was serving in the battleship H.M.S. Iron Duke on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and remained similarly employed until coming ashore in September 1916, thereby seeing action under Jellicoe at Jutland, for which services he was awarded the Russian St. George’s Medal for Bravery 4th Class. His subsequent wartime appointments were in the battleship Implacable (October 1916 to July 1917) and the cruiser Blenheim (July 1917 until March 1919), in which latter ship he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in February 1919. Beck was pensioned shore in early 1920, when he enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve, but returned to service as an Able Seaman during April 1921-September 1922; sold with copied service papers.