Five: Sick Berth Attendant G. J. Grieve, Royal Navy, who was severely wounded in action at Athens in December 1916, being mentioned in despatches and awarded both the French Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre

1914-15 Star (M.4417. G. J. Grieve, S.B.A., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (M.4417 G. J. Grieve. S.B.A. R.N.); France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre 1914-16, with bronze palmes; Medaille Militaire, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, mounted for display, enamel chipped on reverse centre of last, otherwise good very fine (5) £1,000-£1,400

M.I.D. London Gazette 23 March 1917.

Croix de Guerre with Palme London Gazette 23 March 1917.

Medaille Militaire London Gazette 12 May 1917.

George Johnson Grieve was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, on 24 May 1893. He enlisted into the Royal Navy on 6 May 1912, at Devonport, was rated as a probationary Sick Berth Attendant and served in this rate until May 1913 when he was rated Sick Berth Attendant having completed his training at the R.N. hospital Plymouth. He joined H.M.S. Exmouth as S.B.A. on 30 July 1914. Exmouth was sent to Gallipoli as flag ship to Admiral Nicholson and remained off the beaches even after the torpedoing of the Goliath, Majestic and Triumph.

Grieve was landed ashore with the Allied Naval Brigade at Athens in December 1916, in which operations he was severely wounded, as described in Blumberg’s History of the Royal Marines:
‘During the fighting Surgeon Lt. John Desmond Milligan of the Exmouth continued to attend to the wounded on the crest of a hill all through the first period of the fighting, although fully exposed to the Greek fire, and was assisted by Sick Berth Attendant Grieve, who was wounded three times in the arm.’

Following his wounding in Greece, Grieve spent several months in hospital before re joining Exmouth which ship he left on 31 August 1917, returning to duties at R.N. Hospital, Plymouth. Unfortunately, Grieve developed epilepsy and was invalided out of the Navy on 12 December 1917. He died of tuberculosis in November 1929.

Sold with the following archive:

i) A fine studio portrait photograph of the recipient
ii) The recipient’s Mentioned in Despatches Certificate, dated 23 Marcy 1917.
iii) Admiralty Telegram to Mrs Grieve informing her that he son had been severely wounded.
iv) Certificate of discharge from Hospital.
v) Vellum parchment certificate for Medaille Militaire.
vi) Borough of Tenby certificate admitting Grieve as an Honorary Freeman of the Borough.
vii) Obituary notice from a Tenby newspaper.
viii) Certified Copy of Birth Certificate.