Orders, Decorations and Medals

Four: Able Seaman E. Cole, Royal Navy, late Militia Medical Staff Corps, killed in action aboard H.M.S. Good Hope at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (63 Pte., R.A.M.C. Mil.), signs of brooch mounting to obverse, suspension refitted; 1914-15 Star (SS.58, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (S.S.59A.B., R.N.); Memorial Plaque (Ernest Cole), first with edge bruising, good fine; others good very fine (5) £350-450

Ernest Cole was born in Ross, Hereford, on 5 November 1883. A Collier by occupation, he attested for the Militia Medical Staff Corps at Lichfield on 2 December 1901. With them he volunteered for service in South Africa and gained the Queen’s medal with two clasps. After his service in the Boer War he enlisted into the Royal Navy, joining as an Ordinary Seaman in August 1903 and promoted to Able Seaman in October the same year. Completing his service in August 1908, he was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve. Mobilised in July 1914, he was killed in action on 1 November 1914, when the armoured cruiser Good Hope was sunk in action with the German armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at the battle of Coronel. He was the son of George Cole of Monmouth and the husband of Maud Cole of 10 Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. His name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, R.N., was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas. In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of British armoured cruisers’ casemate guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness. The total number of men lost was about 1,400, of which 900 were from the Good Hope. Sold with copied army and navy service papers, confirmation of clasps and other research.