Auction Catalogue

30 March 2011

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 893

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30 March 2011

Hammer Price:
£240

Six: Able Seaman H. R. Crompton, Royal Navy, who served throughout the war on the battlecruiser H.M.S. New Zealand

1914-15 Star (J.4696 A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.4696 A.B., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (J.4696 A.B., H.M.S. Vivid); Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; together with ‘H.M.S. New Zealand’ Visit Medal 1913 (Harrold R. Crompton. A.B.), silver, in case of issue; Naval Victories Medal, by Spink, commemorating the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland, silver, in slightly damaged card box of issue, first four very fine; others extremely fine (8) £220-260

Harrold Reeves Crompton was born in Harborne, Staffordshire on 15 July 1891. A Messenger by occupation, he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 21 May 1909, being advanced to Boy 1st Class in September the same year. He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman when on Magnificent in November 1909 and to Able Seaman when on Collingwood in January 1912. He served on the battlecruiser New Zealand from November 1912 until February 1919. As such he was aboard the ship when she went on tour to the Dominions in 1913, including a visit to her namesake during 12 April-25 June 1913. Whilst there the ship was estimated to have been visited by almost half the population of New Zealand - most pertinent of whom was a Maori chieftain who presented the captain with a Maori piupiu ( a warrior’s skirt) and a greenstone tiki (pendant) which were intended to ward off evil, with the injunction that they were always to be worn by the captain when the ship was in action. Their efficacy was to be proved, as serving on the vessel throughout the war, Crompton saw action aboard the ship at the battles of Dogger Bank, 24 January 1915 and Jutland, 31 May/1 June 1916.

At Dogger Bank, command of the British squadrons fell to Rear-Admiral Moore of the
New Zealand when Beatty’s Lion was badly damaged by three 12-inch shells from the Derfflinger, and as a consequence she was directly engaged in the three hour duel that resulted in the loss of the Blucher.

At Jutland, the crew of the
New Zealand had the misfortune to witness the loss of the Indefatigable and the Queen Mary, passing the latter battle cruiser on the port beam at just 100 yards distance when she blew up. An Officer stationed in New Zealand’s gun-control position later wrote:

‘At about 4.35 the stern of a ship projecting about 70 feet out of the water, with the propellers revolving slowly, drifted into the field of my glasses; clouds of white paper were blowing out of the after-hatch, and on her stern I read “Queen Mary”. She passed us about 100 yards on our port beam, and a moment later there was a blinding flash, a dull heavy roar, which ceased as suddenly as it began, followed by a few seconds silence, and then the patter of falling debris. All that was left of the “Queen Mary” was a great mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke about 600 to 800 feet high, which temporarily obscured our view of the enemy, but a few seconds later we drew clear.’

In spite of such harrowing scenes, the
New Zealand’s crew continued to engage the enemy with numerous well-aimed salvoes, the whole under the direction of Admiral Pakenham and Captain John Green. The crew were doubtless relieved to know that the latter was wearing the piupiu and tikii as instructed. As mascots went, they did the trick, with just one enemy shell hitting the New Zealand on her after turret causing no casualties.

With W.W.2 medal card forwarding box addressed to ‘Mr H. R. Crompton, 3 Orchard Close, Grand Drive, Raynes Park, London, S.W.20; a postcard of H.M.S. New Zealand and a New Zealand Souvenir booklet 1913. With copied service paper.