Four: Able Seaman Rigger F. Morley, H.M.S. Agincourt, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (199742 F. Morley. Smn. Rigger., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (199742 F. Morley. Smn. Rigger. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (199742 Frederick Morley, A.B. (Rigger) H.M.S. Agincourt.) name of ship officially corrected on last, nearly very fine (4) £100-£140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for the Battle of Jutland.

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The dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Agincourt, originally ordered by the Brazilian Navy as the Rio de Janeiro, was launched on 22 January 1913 and was part of the 1st Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland, where she successfully evaded two torpedoes and engaged several German ships during the battle, firing a total of 144 twelve-inch shells and 111 six-inch shells.

Frederick Morley was born in Lewes, Sussex, on 3 March 1883 and joined the Royal Navy as a a Boy 2nd Class on 15 June 1898. Advanced Able Seaman on 1 December 1902, he served throughout the Great War in H.M.S. Agincourt, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 28 March 1916. At Jutland, Agincourt had several lucky escapes from enemy torpedoes, as described in The Fighting at Jutland:
‘As far as Agincourt was concerned, our excitement started at 7.08 p.m., when with a sharp turn of the ship a torpedo passed just under our stern, and later on another broke surface about 150 yards short on our starboard beam. At 7.35 p.m. the tracks of two more torpedoes were reported approaching on the starboard side, but by good co-operation between the fore-top and the conning tower they were both avoided. Aloft the tracks were clearly visible, and acting on the reports from there the ship was gradually turned away, so that by perfect timing one torpedo passed up the port side and one the starboard side; after which we resumed our place in the line. A fifth torpedo was successfully dodged by zigzagging at 7.47 p.m.’

Morley was shore pensioned on 2 March 1923.