Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A 1914-15 Star awarded to Ordinary Seaman W. J. Urie, Royal Navy, killed in action in H.M.S. Monmouth at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914
1914-15 Star (J.17143 W. J. Urie Boy. 1. R.N.) extremely fine

1914-15 Star (J.17038, H. W. C. Sargent, A.B. , R.N.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (J.4150 F. G. Ward. A.B. R.N.); together with a Royal Medico-Psychological Association Medal for Proficiency in Mental Nursing, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘B. S. L. Sergeant’, nearly extremely fine (4) £80-120

William John Urie was born on 22 October 1896 at Cardiff, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 22 April 1912, serving in H.M.S. Impregnable. Advanced Boy 1st Class, 3 October 1912, he transferred to H.M.S. Monmouth on 1 August 1914, and served in her during the Great War, being advanced Ordinary Seaman on 22 October 1914.

Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers H.M.S. Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser H.M.S. Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas.

In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of British armoured cruisers’ casemate guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk with all hands; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness.

Urie was amongst those killed, and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

Hugh William Charles Sargent of Southall, Middlesex, served during the Great War in H.M.S. Inflexible, and died on 25 August 1917. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Frederick George Ward was born on 3 October 1892 at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class serving in H.M.S. Ganges on 1 April 1909. Advanced Ordinary Seaman, H.M.S. Venus, 3 October 1910, he was promoted Able Seaman in the same ship on 7 September 1911. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Attentive II, before transferring to H.M.S. Vampire on 14 August 1919. He died of pneumonia at R.N. Hospital, Portland, and is buried in Dinton Churchyard, Buckinghamshire.