The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 2)

China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (Midsn. G. Gipps, R.N. H.M.S. Orlando) good very fine

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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George Gipps was born in the village of Bridge, near Canterbury, on 30 September 1882. He entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet aboard the Training Ship BRITANNIA on 15 July 1896 and gained 8 month’s seniority on passing out of BRITANNIA having obtained 5 First Class Certificates and one 2nd Class Certificate, and was awarded a prize of £10 for obtaining five 1st Class Certificates. He was promoted to Midshipman on 15 January 1898 on joining NARCISSUS and transferred to ORLANDO in 1899 for service on the China Station. He was landed for services with the Naval Brigade and was mentioned in Admiral Seymour’s Despatch ‘This young Officer distinguished himself when landed for active service in north of China’. For services in China he was noted for early promotion on qualifying for Lieutenant. His service record states that ‘he was continuously in charge of a gun at an outlying and dangerous position of the defences, showed coolness in face of the enemy and invariably dispersed them with a few well-directed shells’. His China Medal with clasp ‘Relief of Pekin’ was presented to him by King Edward VII on 8 March 1902.

He was next appointed to JUPITER (June 1901), and promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 30 September 1901, and to Lieutenant on 30 March 1902. He served next aboard DIADEM (June 1902) and DRAKE (January 1903) and having volunteered in 1903 for service in submarines he joined LATONA (May 1903) and THAMES (July 1903). He subsequently served aboard VICTORIOUS (February 1904) and EXCELLENT (March 1905) for Gunnery Course where he qualified as a Lieutenant (G). He received the approbation of their Lordship’s for his services as an Interpreter during the visit of the French Fleet in August 1905. Appointed to the Greenwich Naval College in April 1906, he was awarded the Commander Egerton Prize in for passing the best examination in Practical Gunnery and in addition received a prize of £20 for the best Theoretical Gunnery examination. His Range Correction invention received their Lordship's approbation on 6 September 1907.

He was next appointed to HINDUSTAN (January 1908), promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 30 March 1910 and subsequently appointed to EXCELLENT (June 1912) ‘for Gunnery Requalification Course’, FORMIDABLE (August 1912), NEWCASTLE (October 1912) as 1st Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer, and HAMPSHIRE (December 1913). He was commended by the Senior Naval Officer during the operations at Tsingtan in 1914 ‘Much of the credit due to him for successful shooting at ranges previously considered impossible. This was done by heeling ship, necessitating the readjustment and calibration of gunsights and recalculation of range tables'. Appointed to TRIUMPH in August 1914 he was mentioned in Despatches for services at Gallipoli, London Gazette 14 March 1916, having been promoted to Commander on 30 June 1915. He was next appointed to GRAFTON (December 1915) for Gunnery Duties on the Staff of Vice Admiral Fremantle. Sadly a very promising career came to an abrupt end when he was killed in action during the final evacuation of the allied troops from Gallipoli on 3 January 1916. H.M.S. GRAFTON was providing close support covering fire during the beach evacuation. when an enemy shell burst in the conning tower where Commander Gipps was directing the ship’s Gunnery.