Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Baltic 1919 operations D.S.M. awarded to Stoker Petty Officer G. Cornish, Royal Naval Reserve

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (S.T. 2929 G. Cornish, Sto. P.O., “Banbury”, Baltic 1919), rank and ship officially re-impressed, good very fine £600-700

D.S.M. London Gazette 8 March 1920. The original recommendation state:

‘On 12 August 1919, when H.M.S. Banbury became temporarily stranded through damage to a float in the port paddle wheel, this Petty Officer remained working inside the paddle box for a period of over two hours, rendering excellent assistance to Engineer Officers in detaching the damaged float.

During this time a heavy sea was running which made his task most dangerous and difficult, and it was partly due to him that the ship was able to proceed without assistance.

His services were also very commendable on the occasion of H.M.S. Banbury striking a mine on 12 October 1919.’

George Cornish was born at Weymouth in May 1876 and enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve as a Leading Trimmer in February 1916. A Petty Officer Stoker by the time of his gallant deeds in the Baltic in 1919, he was demobilised in April 1920; sold with copied recommendation and service record.