Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Petty Officer L. Belsey, Royal Navy, killed aboard H.M. Submarine E.49, 12 March 1917

1914-15 Star (210639 L.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (201639 P.O., R.N.) note variation in service number, nearly extremely fine (3) £160-200

Leonard Belsey was born in Ramsgate, Kent on 18 October 1884 and educated at Ripple School. He volunteered for the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 10 July 1900 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in May 1901. Serving on Amphitrite, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in October 1902 and Able Seaman in September 1903. On Thames he was promoted to Leading Seaman in September 1910. During the Great War he served on Acteon (T.B.10), October 1913-November 1914; then with submarines at Dolphin, November 1914-May 1915; Forth, May 1915-June 1916, being advanced to Petty Officer in January 1916. Then at Vulcan, July-August 1916; Dolphin, August-December 1916 and then Lucia from December 1916. Petty Officer Leonard Belsey was killed serving aboard H.M. Submarine E49 when she hit a mine off the Shetland Islands on 12 March 1917. His name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. He was the son of William and Caroline Belsey and husband of Annie Eliza Belsey, of 5 Prospect Place, Martin Mill Station, Ringwould, Kent.

With original Certificate of Service; marriage certificate, 1914; official Admiralty letter informing his wife of his loss; brass name plate; four portrait photographs; and copied research including a newspaper extract bearing his photograph and obituary.