Auction Catalogue

19 & 20 September 2013

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1455

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20 September 2013

Hammer Price:
£460

Four: Stoker 1st Class J. W. Moore, Royal Navy - who served on the submarine E-1 in the Baltic Sea

1914-15
Star (295078 Sto. 1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (295078 Act. L. Sto., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R.1st issue (295078 Sto. 1Cl., H.M.S. Dolphin) very fine (4) £140-180

John Walters Moore was born in Bow, London on 19 December 1881. A Boiler Cleaner by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 23 April 1900. He was advanced to Stoker in October 1901 and to Stoker 1st Class in July 1906. He was discharged having completed his service in April 1912 and joined the R.F.R. Moore was recalled for service in August 1914. Going into the submarine service, he served as a Stoker 1st Class in H.M.S. Dolphin, August-September 1914 and then in H.M.S. Maidstone, September 1914-August 1916. Served on the submarine E-1 in the Baltic Sea, August 1916-June 1917. Then based in Dolphin, June-August 1917, after which he served in the submarine F-2, August 1917-April 1919. Appointed Acting Leading Stoker in September 1918; demobilised on 4 June 1921.

With original Form B-107 Notice to men of Class “B” R.F.R. to join the Royal Navy, named to to J. W. Moore; a hand written Reference Sheet - regarding the refusal to award the Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. on the grounds that his service in the R.F.R. did not count - this forwarded to the Commanding Officer of
E-19 (Cromie), dated July 1917 and forwarded to the Commanding Officer of the submarine F-2, dated September 1917 - the document bearing both these officers’ signatures; R.F.R. Certificate of Identity, dated 19 April 1919, and Certificate of Identity re Moore’s Naval Gratuity of £1.0.0 for ‘Good Conduct’. Also with nine original photographs, including one of a submarine in dry dock; one of the recipient in R.F.R. uniform; one of a group of submariners identified as ‘Royal Fleet Reserve in the Baltic Submarines’; others mostly group photographs, Moore identified on one, some others inscribed on reverse. Also with copied service paper.

Research by the owner indicates service on the submarine
E-1 (Lieutenant Commander N.F. Laurence). E-19 (Lieutenant Commander F.N.A. Cromie) was the designated ‘depot ship’ of the Baltic Submarine Fleet and personnel of all other boats are borne aboard E-19 for official purposes (see Baltic Assignment, British Submariners in Russia 1914-1919, by Michael Wilson). Both the E-1 and E-19 were amongst a number of British submarines scuttled at Helsingfors on 8 April 1918 to prevent them falling into the hands of the Bolsheviks.