Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Chief Petty Officer T. W. Purkis, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (164473 C.P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (164473 C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (164473 C.P.O., H.M.S. Excellent); Naval Good Shooting Medal, G.V.R. (164473 C.P.O., H.M.S. Hindustan, 1912 12in B.L.) slight contact marks, very fine and better (5) £600-700

Thomas William Purkis was born in Bethnal Green, Middlesex on 17 September 1876. He entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 29 December 1891, being advanced to Boy 1st Class in November 1892. Serving on H.M.S. Blake, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in September 1894 and to Able Seaman in January 1895. Serving on H.M.S. Hood, he was promoted to Leading Seaman in November 1898 and to Petty Officer 2nd Class in April 1899. He was advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class in November 1900 when on H.M.S. Camperdown and to Chief Petty Officer in February 1912 when at H.M.S. Excellent. He served on the battleship H.M.S. Hindustan, April 1912-February 1914, earning the Naval Good Shooting Medal for its 12 inch calibre main armament in 1912. For most of the war he was based at H.M.S. Excellent (Portsmouth), February 1914-May 1917, at which time he gained the Long Service Medal. He later served on the battleship, H.M.S. St. Vincent, May 1917-April 1919 and the ex-Russian cruiser Variag, May-June 1919. Chief Petty Officer Purkis was demobilised on 4 March 1920. With copied service papers.