Orders, Decorations and Medals

Four: W. Drew, Leading Seaman, Royal Navy
China 1900, no clasp (199811 Boy 1 Cl., H.M.S. Barfleur) this an official later issue, his original medal was lost at sea when his ship was torpedoed; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals (199811 A.B., R.N.) together with boxes of issue for Great War Medals, original vellum ‘Certificate of Service’, and a fascinating typescript, official detailed report of the loss of H.M. Oiler ‘Rosalind’ in a torpedo attack, this account jointly written by Leading Seaman Drew, nearly extremely fine (4) £140-180

Leading Seaman William Drew was born in the parish of Poplar, London and volunteered for service with the Royal Navy, June 1898. Served during the Third China War aboard HMS Barfleur, gained the China 1900 Medal, ‘Certificate of Service’ states ‘duplicate China medal issued, original lost D.A.M.S. Rosalind’. Drew served continuously aboard numerous ships with the Royal Navy and later the Royal Fleet Reserve until February 1923 on completion of 25 years service, his character was on all occasions noted as very good, however he was never awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. ‘Certificate of Service’ notes the award of chevrons in 1914,1915,1916 & 1917, he was also presented with four pounds and three shillings as his share of the Naval Prize Fund and gained two further payments in 1922 & 1924.

Regarding the loss of HM Oiler ‘Rosalind’ Drew’s official report states ‘Homeward bound, loaded-On Friday 6th April 1917 while on watch about 3:15pm I sighted an enemy submarine about two points off the port bow. Gun would not bear, she fired a torpedo at about 800 yards range, the torpedo ran on the surface and struck the ship about 100 yards above the bridge, port side. The next I saw of him was about 100 yards on the port quarter, I trained my gun(after loading it myself) but I was to late as she disappeared. My number three then came on the gun platform and then came number two, after having difficulty to come aft over the broken deck. I again sighted the submarine on the starboard quarter and opened fire at 600 yards shot going over, I came down 200 yards and fired again, dismantling her periscope. I then fired two more rounds rapidly but she disappeared again, in the meantime she fired another torpedo which struck the ship in exactly the same place on the starboard side, leaving the ship holding by the mid-ship fore and aft bulkhead, the remainder of my gun’s crew then closed up. The Captain came aft and ordered us to our boat, which was the last to leave after picking up two men who were hanging by the foremost boat’s fall, port side. We were just about 12 yards away from the ship when the submarine opened fire keeping well ahead . Her first shot fell just astern of our boat, she fired in all 75 rounds, so many on each side of the ship and from what I could see there were about ten hits on the port side. Then steaming round to the starboard beam on the surface, she fired a third torpedo, which I think must have struck the engine room, after that she steamed to the North as hard as she could, not troubling about the boats. It took the ship about three and a half hours to sink and one man was drowned.’ Drew then goes on to describe his journey until eventually reaching safety, eight miles to the South of Cape Claire, Ireland.