Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War Auxiliary Patrol operations D.S.M. awarded to Engineer Sub. Lieutenant R. S. Luen, Royal Naval Reserve, late Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (Ch. M.M., H.M.M.L. 55, Aux. Patrol, 1916); 1914-15 Star (M.B. 144 R. S. Luen, C.M.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Eng. S. Lt. R. S. Luen, R.N.R.), minor official correction to ‘1916’ on the first, extremely fine (4) £600-800

D.S.M. London Gazette 27 June 1917:

‘For services in vessels of the Auxiliary patrol between 1 February and 31 December 1916’.

Robert Stanley Luen was born in May 1891 and entered the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in September 1914, when he was borne on President’s books with an appointment in the Molly. Having then removed to the Vinions in June 1915, he came ashore in September of the same year, and attended the Crystal Palace training establishment Victory II and served at the Auxiliary Patrol base Attentive III at Dover.

Advanced to Chief Motor Mechanic in August 1916, he joined H.M. Motor Launch 55 in the same month, and remained similarly employed until taking up an appointment in the Auxiliary Patrol base Halcyon II at Lowestoft in April 1917. Here, then, the period in which he was awarded his D.S.M.

Coming ashore for officer training that August, he was commissioned as an Engineer Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in the following year, and advanced to Engineer Lieutenant in March 1919; sold with copied R.N.V.R. service record.