Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Able Seaman J. Wanders, Royal Australian Navy, who served on H.M.A.S. Swan in the Black Sea, 1918-19

1914-15 Star (ON.1468 J. Wanders, A.B.); British War and Victory Medals (1468 Jack Wanders, A.B., R.A.N.) very fine (6) £450-550

Jack Wanders was born in Pirfield, Victoria on 26 January 1893 and volunteered for the Royal Australian Navy on 22 June 1912, being appointed an Ordinary Seaman. His first seagoing appointment was on the protected cruiser Encounter, July-November 1912. He served on the battlecruiser Australia, June 1913-January 1916, being advanced to Able Seaman in January 1914. He took part in the operations against German New Guinea. Able Seaman Wanders then served at the naval base Cerberus, January-August 1916 and then for the remainder of the war he served aboard the Swan. The ship was employed in the East Indies until May 1917 when she was posted to service in the Mediterranean. Immediately after the war, in December 1918, the Swan carried out a number of operations in the Black Sea - carrying a mission to Rostov and Novocherkassk in Russia and then employed on anti-Bolshevik guard duties at Sevastopol. Then with her Black Sea duties completed, the Swan with Wanders aboard her visited England in early 1919 before returning to Australia in March. The ship was placed on reserve and on 1 August 1919 Wanders was discharged to shore. With parchment service papers, together with identity disk, R.A.N. ‘Returned from Active Service’ badge, brass, reverse numbered ‘2732’ and Australia Returned Soldiers and Sailors Imperial League badge, enamelled, reverse numbered, ‘68062’.