Four: Cooper’s Crew M. P. Jordan, Royal Navy, who was landed from H.M.S. Sutlej for relief work at Messina in 1908, and died when H.M.S. Amphion struck a mine on 6 August 1914, the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War

1914-15 Star (346493. M. P. Jordan. Cpr. Cr. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals ((346439 M. P. Jordan. Cpr. Cr. R.N.) note mistake in Offical Number; Italy, Kingdom, Messina Earthquake Medal 1908, silver, edge bruise to the last, otherwise good very fine (4) £300-£400

Maurice Paul Jordan was born at Haulbowline, Cork, on 29 June 1889, and joined the Royal Navy as a Cooper at Haulbowline Yard on 30 November 1903. Advanced to Cooper’s Crew on 29 June 1907, he served aboard H.M.S. Sutlej from May 1908 to March 1909 and was landed from the ship to assist in the relief work on the occasion of the earthquake at Messina in December 1908. He joined H.M.S. Amphion on 2 April 1913, and died when the ship struck a mine on 6 August 1914 off the Thames Estuary and sank with the loss of 132 crewmen killed. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War.