Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Stoker 1st Class G. Batten, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (298596 Sto.1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (298596 Sto.1, R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (298596 George Batten, Sto., H.M.S. Attentive III); St. John Service Medal (9362 Pte. G. Batten, Belfast Div. N. Ireland Dis S.J.A.B. 1928) silver; Association of Professional Fire Brigade Officers L.S. Medal (Fireman G. Batten, 1938) silver; Russia, Medal for Zeal, Nicholas II, small, silver (298596 G. Batten, Sto. 1 Cl., H.M.S. Jupiter) on ‘St. Stanislaus’ ribbon, mounted as worn, some edge bruising, very fine (7) £550-650

George Batten was born in Orlock Hill, Co. Down on 21 June 1883. A Grover’s assistant by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 21 September 1901. Promoted to Stoker in January 1903 when on Grafton, Stoker 1st Class in July 1906 when on Russell and Acting Leading Stoker in May 1911 when on Orontes. Time expired, he was discharged in September 1913 and joined the Devonport R.F.R. and the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade. With the onset of war he rejoined the Navy as a Stoker 1st Class and served on the battleship Jupiter, August 1914-May 1915.

In January 1915 the Admiralty received a request for assistance from the Russian Government, the latter’s icebreaker used to keep open the passage to Archangel in the White Sea having broken down. In response the Royal Navy sent out the Tyne Guard Ship H.M.S. Jupiter, an old Majestic-class battleship. She departed for Archangel in February 1915, freeing en route a number of vessels stuck in the ice, occasionally by using explosive charges. She, too, sometimes became icebound, but still managed to make a major impression on the problem, improving the safe passage of numerous vessels, many of them laden with highly important war materials, among them the S.S. Thracia. The latter was taken in tow after the use of explosive charges to free her. Throughout these operations it was not unusual for the temperature to fall as low as minus 20 degrees, a hard test indeed on the morale and well being of the Jupiter’s crew. Her mission completed by May 1915, the Tzar expressed his gratitude by the presentation of a variety of Russian Honours and Awards to her crew. Batten being awarded the Medal for Zeal.

He was then based at Vivid II, May 1915-January 1917; Attentive III, January 1917-January 1919 and Vivid II, January-March 1919, being awarded the L.S. & G.C. in September 1917 and demobilised on 15 March 1919. After the war he resumed his service with the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade in Belfast and was probably still serving in the early years of the Second World War. He died in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast on 23 April 1964.

With copied service papers and a quantity of other copied research. With a postcard photograph of H.M.S. Jupiter on icebreaking duties.