Orders, Decorations and Medals

Six: Leading Stoker S. J. Dodge, Royal Navy

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (312316 Sto. 1Cl., H.M.S. Perseus); 1914-15 Star (312316 L. Sto., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, small M.I.D. oak leaf (312316 L. Sto. R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (312316 Ch. B. 13861 L. Sto., R.F.R.); Romania, Military Bravery Medal, 2nd Class, silvered bronze, mounted for wear, fine and better (6) £300-400

Stephen Joseph Dodge was born in Folkestone, Kent on 1 July 1889. Employed as a Gardener’s Lad, he joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 25 October 1907. He was promoted to Stoker 1st Class in November 1908 whilst serving on Minotaur. He served on Perseus, December 1911-September 1913, seeing service in the Persian Gulf. In June 1914 he joined the destroyer Lizard, serving on her until January 1919, being advanced to Acting Leading Stoker in March 1915 and being confirmed at that rank in September 1915. Serving on the destroyer he was present at the battles of Heligoland, Dogger Bank and Jutland. Later on in the war, the Lizard was involved in opposing the sortie by the Yavuz Sultan Selim (ex-Goeben) and Midilli (ex-Breslau) from the Dardanelles in 1918. After the war Dodge served on the battlecruiser Princess Royal, April-May 1919 before being demobilized on 20 November 1919.

For his services during the sortie of the Goeben and Breslau he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 14 September 1918) and awarded the Romanian Military Bravery Medal 2nd Class (London Gazette 17 March 1919). The recommendation for the M.I.D. reads: ‘Stephen Joseph Dodge, Ldg. Sto. Off. No. 312316. For coolness under heavy fire. He proved himself particularly able and efficient in assisting to repair a broken steam pipe joint during the action.’

With copied service papers, gazette extracts, reports and other research.