Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Boer War ‘Ladysmith’ Naval Brigade group of seven awarded to Chief Petty Officer L. Harmer, Royal Navy, including his presentation city of Portsmouth pocket watch and Lloyd’s tobacco box

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Ladysmith (173178 A.B. L. Harmer, H.M.S. Powerful) officially engraved naming; 1914-15 Star (173178 P.O. 1 R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (173178 C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Victorian Medal, V.R., Bronze, suspension repaired above crown and no longer swivelling; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (173178 Leonard Harmer, P.O. 1Cl. H.M.S. Blenheim); Russian Medal of St George, 4th Class, the reverse officially impressed ‘No. 1272854’, this lacking original suspension loop; together with his City of Portsmouth Presentation Hunter Pocket Watch, silver case, continental hall marks, the outer front lid inscribed ‘Siege of Ladysmith, 118 Days, 1899-1900, L. Harmer, A.B., H.M.S. Powerful’, the Swiss made movement signed ‘S. Smith & Son, 9 Strand, London, Watchmakers to the Admiralty’; and his Corporation of Lloyd’s Presentation silver Tobacco Box, by ‘H. & A.’, hallmarks for Birmingham 1899, the lid with engraved crest and ‘Lloyd’s’ above and the date ‘7 May 1900’ below, additionally inscribed ‘To L. Harmer A.B. H.M.S. Powerful’, very fine or better (9) £2000-2500

The lot is accompanied by a black cloth seaman’s cap with ‘H.M.S. Powerful’ tally, mothed but generally good for the period; and an original printed menu for the ‘Reception of the Naval Brigade of H.M.S. “Powerful” at the Corporation of Lloyd’s, Monday, May 7th, 1900’.

Leonard Harmer was born at Broadwater, Sussex, on 28 November 1877, and joined the Navy on 21 April 1898, as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Impregnable. He served aboard H.M.S. Powerful from 8 June 1897, as an Ordinary Seaman, and from 21 April 1898, as an Able Seaman. He served with Powerful’s Ladysmith Naval Brigade and was present throughout the defence of that town. He received his L.S. & G.C. medal in November 1910 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Blenheim. During the Great War he served at the battle of Jutland aboard the destroyer Sparrowhawk which was sunk during the action, fortunately suffering very few casualties. He received the Russian Medal of St George 4th Class for Jutland and was invalided out in May 1920 suffering from a growth on his lower jaw.