Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A League of Neutral Countries Life Saving Medal group of Four awarded to Leading Telegraphist G. Lea, Royal Navy, for his assistance in rescuing the crews of six Dutch merchantmen attacked and sunk by a German submarine off the Isles of Scilly, 22 February 1917

1914-15 Star (J.23187 G Lea. Tel., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.23187 G. Lea. L.Tel. R.N.) unit officially corrected on BWM; League of Neutral Countries Life Saving Medal, bronze, 60mm, the reverse inscribed ‘The Netherland Section of the League of Neutral Countries to George Lea in grateful commemoration of the services tendered by the English Sailors who rescued with peril of life the crews of seven unarmed Dutch Merchantmen surreptitiously attacked and recklessly destroyed by a German Submarine February 22nd 1917’, good very fine, the last scarce (4) £500-600

George Lea was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 26 March 1897, and joined the Royal Navy on 10 February 1913. He entered the Boys’ training ship H.M.S. Impregnable at Devonport as a Boy 2nd Class, but was selected for the Telegraphist Branch on 22 November of that year, becoming a Boy Telegraphist. He was posted to the battle cruiser H.M.S. Lion, the flagship of Rear Admiral Beatty, on 25 May 1914, and served in her during the three fleet actions that took place during the Great War in the North Sea - the Battle of Heligoland Bight, 28 August 1914; the Battle of Dogger Bank, 24 January 1915, and the Battle of Jutland, 31 May to 1 June 1916. He was promoted Leading Telegraphist on 16 September 1916.

On 9 February 1917, H.M.S. Lion left Scarpa Flow for Rosyth, where she entered dry dock, and many of the crew were given a period of leave, and Lea headed down to Cornwall.‘ In February 1917 Lieutenant Commander Hersing in the German submarine U.21 was heading home after a successful (from his point of view) tour in the Mediterranean. On the 22nd February he met a Dutch convoy of eight steamers off the Isles of Scilly. They had just left Falmouth and were about 25 miles west of Bishop’s Rock. To Hersing these vessels seemed the most perfect gift just as he was entering the English Channel, and he promptly sank six of them. In response to the wireless calls from one of the Dutch merchantmen, three H.M. Tugs from the newly-inaugurated Rescue Service came out from Falmouth and, with the assistance of other trawlers, saved two of the steamers. About 200 of the occupants were brought ashore at Penzance.
The disaster severely angered the Dutch authorities, as the convoy had been granted ‘safe conduct’ by Germany, although Hersing was unaware of this. The incident created a diplomatic incident, and the outcome was that Germany eventually made compensation by transferring to Holland six German steamers that were lying in the Dutch East Indies.’ (Seas of Adventures, E. Keble Chatterton refers).

For his role in helping rescue the crews of the sunk merchantmen Lea was awarded a specially commissioned League of Neutral Countries Life Saving Medal. After the incident he returned to H.M.S. Lion, and continued to serve in her until 31 March 1920, when he obtained a free discharge from the Royal Navy in order to take up an appointment in the Royal Indian Marines as a Wireless Operator with the rank of Warrant Officer.