Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Chief Ship’s Cook W. H. Sharp, Royal Navy, killed when H.M.S. Hampshire was mined and sunk in June 1916

1914-15 Star (343916 W. H. Sharpe, Ch. Sh. Ck., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (343916 W. H. Sharpe. Ch. Sh. Ck., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (343916 W. H. Sharp, Ch. Sh. Ck., H.M.S. Hampshire) note surname ‘Sharpe’ on first three, mounted for display, good very fine (4) £400-500

Walter Henry Sharp was born at Swanmore, Hampshire, on 17 September 1881, and was a gardener by trade when he joined the Royal Navy as a Cook on 21 January 1901. He served in a number of ships, many of which were attached to shore-based training establishments, including Warrior and Erebus, and also had sea-going appointments in the cruisers Essex (1911-12) and Royal Arthur (1912-13).

His conduct was consistently rated ‘Very Good’ and he was awarded the L.S. & G.C. medal in January 1916. His ability was rated ‘Superior’ and he was promoted from Acting 2nd Cook’s Mate (on enlistment) to Ship’s Cook in 1911 and to Chief Ship’s Cook in April 1913.

He joined H.M.S. Hampshire in June 1914 and was killed when the cruiser was mined and sunk on 5 June 1916. The ship was en route to Russia carrying the Secretary of State for War, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener when she struck a mine 1.5 miles off the Brough of Birsey, Orkney Islands. Kitchener and all his staff perished and of the 600 plus men on board only 12 survived.

Sold with copied service record and a contemporary Kitchener ‘memorial’ postcard.