Five: Chief Blacksmith S. Colwill, Royal Navy, who served with H.M.S. Phoebe during the 1897 Benin Expedition and was on the crew of the battlecruiser H.M.S. New Zealand during its involvement in the Battles of Heligoland Bight and Dogger Bank, and the German raid on Scarborough on 16 December 1914

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (S. Colvill, Acg. Blk., H.M.S. Phoebe.); 1914-15 Star (340495, S. Colwill, Blk., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (340495 S. Colwill. Ch. Blk. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (340495 Samuel Colwill, Blacksth, H.M.S. Doris.) light contact marks, very fine or better (5) £400-£500

Samuel Colwill was born in Capthorne, Cornwall in January 1873. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in June 1895 and was assigned to H.M.S. Vivid II as a Blacksmith’s Mate. The following November he was posted to the cruiser H.M.S. Pheobe and was involved in the Benin Expedition of 1897. He was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in February 1910 whilst serving aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Doris.

In November 1912 Colwill joined the battlecruiser H.M.S. New Zealand and remained with the ship into the Great War. He was part of the crew during its involvement in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, the Battle of Dogger Bank and the German raid on Scarborough on 16 December 1914. In April 1918, Cowill was posted to the battlecruiser H.M.S. Lion and on 21 November 1918 was present when the ship acted as an escort for the German High Seas Fleet as they sailed for Scapa Flow to be interned. He was demobilised in April 1918, having reached the rank of Chief Blacksmith.