Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The 1914-15 Star awarded to Ordinary Seaman J. H. Carless, Royal Navy, who was awarded a posthumous V.C. for his gallantry and sacrifice aboard H.M.S. Caledon in the 2nd Battle of Heligoland Bight in November 1917

1914-15 Star (J. 43703 J. H. Carless, Ord., R.N.), sold with length of original water-stained riband, very fine £1600-1800

The following extract has been taken from The Victoria Cross at Sea, by John Winton:

‘The battle in the Heligoland Bight of November 1917 was the last 'big-ship' engagement of the First World War. It might have led to a major action, but in fact it was not much more than a skirmish, between British light battlecruisers and cruisers, under Admiral Napier, covered by battleships, and German cruisers under Admiral von Reuter, covered by the battleships Kaiser and Kaiserin. By November 1917 the most important task of the German Navy was to keep submarine bases free of mines. German minesweepers, with heavy ship support, were operating over 100 miles from their bases. Knowing this, Beatty despatched Napier's force into the Bight in the hope of action.

The German minesweepers were first sighted at 7.30 am on 17th November. Von Reuter immediately turned away under smoke. Due to misunderstandings about the positions of German minefields, von Reuter was not followed as closely as he might have been. In the action that followed, the light cruisers Calypso and Caledon were straddled and hit by salvoes from Kaiser and Kaiserin, while the battlecruiser Repulse hit von Reuter's flagship Konigsberg. The Germans also lost the torpedo boat Kedingen.

It was a disappointing action for the British (and it contributed to Jellicoe's resignation) but it was redeemed by an act of outstanding gallantry in Caledon. One of her guns was hit and almost the whole crew became casualties. The rammer, Ordinary Seaman Carless, was mortally wounded in the stomach. In spite of his wound, Carless carried on serving his gun and helping to clear away the casualties. He collapsed once, but got up again. He cheered on the new guns' crew who arrived to take the place of the casualties, but then fell again and died. In the words of his V.C. citation, 'He not only set a very inspiring and memorable example but he also, while mortally wounded, continued to do effective work against the King's enemies.'

The citation appeared in the London Gazette of 17th May 1918, and the Cross was presented to Carless's parents by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 22nd June 1918.

John Henry Carless was born on 11th November 1896, at Renwick Terrace, Frederick Street, Walsall, Staffordshire, the son of John Thomas Carless, a journeyman brass caster, and Elizabeth (nee Smith). He went to St Mary's the Mount Roman Catholic School, Walsall, and joined the Navy on 1st September 1915 (Official No. J. 43703). He did not marry.

In 1920 a bronze bust of Carless, executed by R. J. Emerson of Wolverhampton and mounted upon a base of Portland stone, was unveiled outside Walsall Free Library. Every year on Armistice Day, which was also Carless's birthday, a service of remembrance was held at the memorial.’

His Victoria Cross was bequeathed to the people of Walsall in 1986; the whereabouts of his British War and Victory Medals is unknown.