Auction Catalogue

19–21 June 2013

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1277

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20 June 2013

Hammer Price:
£250

A Great War Auxiliary Patrol M.S.M. awarded to Deck Hand W. H. Phillips, Royal Naval Reserve

Royal Naval Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (D.A. 262 W. H. Phillips, Dk. Hand, R.N.R., “Comely Bank”, Aux. Patrol, 1918), edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise very fine £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Old Collection of Medals Relating to The Great War.

View An Old Collection of Medals Relating to The Great War

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Collection

William Henry Phillips was born in July 1892 and enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve as a Deck Hand at Milford Haven in April 1913. Called up for services in hired trawlers in August 1914, he also served in drifters, a case in point being his time in the Comely Bank, armed with a 3-pounder gun, in which he was awarded the M.S.M. in respect of ‘services in the Auxiliary Patrol between the 1 July and 11 November 1918’ (London Gazette 11 April 1919 refers). Remaining on the strength of the R.N.R. after the War, he was lost in the trawler Carysfort in March 1923. The following extract was taken from a local newspaper report:

‘During the week the people of Milford Haven have been anxiously waiting for news of the steam trawler Carysfort, belonging to Messrs. David Pettit Ltd., Milford Haven, of which up to the time of writing (Thursday afternoon) nothing has been seen or heard since February 22nd, when she left the docks.

A distance of about 30 miles from Milford is her usual area (Smalls Fishing Grounds) where she was last seen by another Milford trawler. The Carysfort was quite a modern fishing vessel, and was fully equipped with coal for a lengthy trip. In fact, it is stated that she carried bunkers that would have kept her supplied for nearly three weeks. Her net tonnage was 108, but she was not one of the biggest ships that sail out of Milford Haven.

For this fishing trip she was expected to go to the westward fishing grounds, but in any case, if she was she was not sheltering, she would have met the full force of the severe gale. Some of the trawlers belonging to the same firm carry a wireless outfit, but the Carysfort was not one of these.

It is feared that the Carysfort has been lost with all hands, but hopes are still held that the vessel may be safe, because trawlers have been known to be absent from other ports for a period of a month and then return quite all right.’

In the ensuing list of of the missing crew appears ‘Mate, W. Phillips, Lower Drang, Hakin. Married’; sold with copied service record.