Auction Catalogue

2 July 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Download Images

Lot

№ 669

.

2 July 2003

Hammer Price:
£90

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (J. 31860 W. Keen, A.B., H.M.S. Concord) contact wear, edge bruising and polished, good fine £40-50

William Keen was born in Clapham, London in September 1898 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1914 at the training establishment Powerful. In April 1915, following attendance at the torpedo school Defiance, he joined the battleship Warspite and was present in her at the Battle of Jutland. On that memorable occasion, the Warspite took many direct hits and sustained casualties of 4 killed and 26 wounded. A very full account of her experiences by her Executive Officer may be found in The Fighting at Jutland, together with a series of impressive ‘battle-damage’ photographs taken on her return to port:

‘ ... Went on the upper deck and had a look round. Main derrick was shot through and lying across the picket boat, mainmast holed by a 6-inch, and boats all smashed to atoms. Compass platform was riddled by splinters. Big hole starboard side by 6-inch gun, which we covered over with a collision mat and nailed down. Tried to “darken ship” as best we could, but the holes everywhere made this rather hopeless; plugged them with canvas and deck cloths. A 12-inch shell had hit the communication tube of the after director tower, sheared all rivets, and spun the tube through 180 degrees, but only one man was killed and two wounded in the tower above - rather miraculous. “X” turret had a direct hit, looked like an 8-inch, but no damage whatever inside; in fact, they did not know they had been hit. The boats were a comic sight; launch absolutely smashed to blazes, all Carley rafts except two small ones broken up, and no sound boat left. First picket boat had just been painted, too, and new brass rails round casings were all cut to pieces. Both ladders to quarter deck had gone, and both life buoys blown away by blast from “Y” turret. All mainstays had been shot through except one the starboard side. Searchlights had not suffered very badly, except those on the after-superstructure; they were like scrap iron. There were many holes on the quarter deck, rather death-traps. Where the shell hit the deck, planks and fastenings were removed as cleanly as if they were shovelled away, in several places over an area of 10 or 12 square feet ...

... We had not time before the action to strip the sick-bay, and a 12-inch had come clean through from port to starboard, completely wrecking sick-bay, which was in an awful state of confusion, due to fire and water, chemicals, broken glass, etc. Having got this fire out, went and saw fleet surgeon, who was very busy in fore distributing station. Large numbers of burnt men were in a dreadful state ...

... By this time one felt one wanted something inside, so repaired to the ward-room; found they had got some food of sorts going, sardines and tinned tongue; everybody was very cheery. A funny hit here; 6-inch shell had come through ward-room table, making a clean round hole, dented deck, and gone through other side, having wrecked stove, armchair and piano. We hope to sell piano for a good price as a souvenir, although it has no inside left, but the outside is all right ... ’

Keen departed the
Warspite as an Able Seaman in December 1918.

He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in September 1933, while serving in the cruiser
Concord.