Auction Catalogue

27 & 28 September 2016

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

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Lot

№ 966

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28 September 2016

Hammer Price:
£160

Pair: Mechanician A. J. Netley, Royal Navy, killed onboard H.M.S. Vanguard on 9 July 1917 at Scapa Flow

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (293613. A. J. Netley, Sto. P.O. H.M.S. Sphinx.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (293613 A. J. Netley. Mech. R.N.) good very fine (2) £160-200

Albert John Netley was born on 30 October 1880 at Walworth, London, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 23 October 1899. Promoted Stoker, serving in H.M.S. Resolution, 28 June 1900, he was advanced to Stoker Petty Officer, 22 January 1910, and transferred to H.M.S. Sphinx, 25 June 1910, serving during operations in the Persian Gulf. Promoted Mechanician, H.M.S. Princess Royal, 1 January 1914, he transferred to H.M.S. Vanguard on 3 April 1914, and served in her throughout the Great War. Just before midnight on 9 July 1917, Vanguard, at anchor at Scapa Flow, suffered an explosion, probably caused by an unnoticed stokehold fire heating cordite stored against an adjacent bulkhead in one of the two magazines which served the amidships gun turrets 'P' and 'Q'. She sank almost instantly, killing an estimated 804 men; there were only two survivors. In terms of loss of life, the destruction of the Vanguard remains the most catastrophic accidental explosion in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the worst accidental losses of the Royal Navy. Netley was amongst those men killed, and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.