Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Able Seaman J. Ryall, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Glasgow at the Battles of Coronel and the Falkland Islands

East and West Africa 1887-1900, for Mwele 1895, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (Ord., H.M.S. St. George); 1914-15 Star (166046 A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (166046 A.B. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (166046 Jesse Ryall, A.B., H.M.S. Forward) first and last with some contact marks, very fine and better (5) £400-500

Jesse Ryall was born on 2 October 1876 at Hensbridge, Somerset. A Labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1892 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in February 1893. He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in October 1894 when on the Inflexible. Serving on the St. George, October 1894-February 1898, he was present in the actions at Mwele in 1895 and those against Benin in 1897, being promoted to Able Seaman in November 1896. As an Able Seaman he was serving on the light cruiser Glasgow when war broke out in 1914. As part of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock’s South Atlantic Squadron, he and his ship survived the battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914 and took an active part in the battle of the Falkland Islands, 8 December 1914, when the Glasgow in company with the armoured cruiser Cornwall sank the German light cruiser Leipzig. He remained on the Glasgow until January 1916. Then after service on destroyers, he ended his naval career with service on the battleship King George V, July 1917-March 1919. With postcard photograph of H.M.S. Glasgow and copied service paper.