Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A ‘Coronation 1937’ B.E.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant R. H. Briggs, Royal Navy

British Empire Medal (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (P/JX 142600 Robert H. Briggs.); 1914-15 Star (J.4372 R. H. Briggs A.B. R.N.) naming faint through wear; British War and Victory Medals (J.4372 R. H. Briggs. L.S. R.N.); Defence and War Medals; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (J.4372 R. H. Briggs. H.M.S. Excellent.); Marine Society Reward of Merit, silver (Robert H. Briggs. February 16th 1915) mounted for display, the Great War medals with contact marks, good fine, otherwise very fine or better (8) £300-360

B.E.M. (Military) London Gazette 11 May 1937: ‘...on the occasion of His Majesty’s Coronation - Robert Henry Briggs, Chief Petty Officer, P/JX. 142600.’

Robert Henry Briggs was born on 11 February 1893, in Southwark, London. He joined the Royal Navy on 27 May 1909, from the Training Ship Warspite. At the outbreak of the war Briggs was aboard the armoured cruiser Hampshire, based on the China Station. Operating in the Indian Ocean she captured a German merchantman on 11 August 1914. She also took part in the search for the commerce raider S.M.S. Emden, eventually sunk by H.M.A.S. Sydney on 9 November 1914, before returning to Home Waters to join the Grand Fleet. Shortly before Briggs left the ship, on 27 July 1915, while on patrol in the Moray Firth she was fortunately missed by a torpedo from a German submarine. Briggs next went ashore to H.M.S. Vernon, Torpedo School at Portsmouth, where he qualified as Seaman Torpedoman on 1 October 1915. He then joined the destroyer H.M.S. Zulu, based at Dover and operating in the southern part of the North Sea and the English Channel, screening larger warships against torpedo attack from enemy submarines. On 8 November 1916, whilst on passage from Dover to Dunkirk, she struck a mine, which exploded under the engine room. The after part of the ship broke off and sank, while the fore part was towed into Calais in time to prevent it from sinking also, and subsequently welded to the after part of the damaged destroyer Nubian, the result of this marriage becoming H.M.S. Zubian. Whilst in Zulu Briggs had qualified as Acting Leading Torpedo Operator; this rating became substantive in March 1917. He subsequently served aboard the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Furious, from July 1917 to September 1920. Briggs was rated Petty Officer on 3 December 1918, and sub-rated Acting Torpedo Gunner’s Mate on 28 January 1919. He served aboard the aircraft carrier Hermes, from October 1920 to August 1922, being made substantive Torpedo Gunner’s Mate on 7 September 1921. He received his L.S. & G.C. medal on 24 March 1926, and achieved Warrant rank on 8 October 1940 as Temporary Boatswain, becoming Temporary Acting Commissioned Boatswain on 18 June 1945 with the war service rank of Lieutenant. Sold with copied record of service.