Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (J. 19253 (Ch. B. 19157) T. B. Gibbons, A.B., R.F.R.); another similar, G.VI.R., 1st issue (J. 39578 (PO. B. 14135) W. Dudley, Sig. R.F.R.) very fine and better (2) £30-40

Thomas Edward Gibbons was born at Greenwich, London in December 1895 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in August 1912. The outbreak of hostilities found him serving as an Ordinary Seaman in the cruiser H.M.S. Natal, aboard which ship he was still employed when she blew up with huge loss of life in Cromarty harbour on 30 December 1915. The cause of the explosion was popularly attributed to the work of enemy agents, but more likely an innocent fire that caused the after magazine to ignite. Torn asunder by the force of the explosion, the Natal went down very quickly, taking with her 25 Officers and 380 ratings.

Having survived that ordeal, Gibbons returned to sea in the battle cruiser Inflexible on 28 May 1916, but he was not to enjoy a moments respite from the rigours of active service, that same ship becoming heavily engaged at Jutland just three days later. Other than a brief period ashore at Pembroke II in the summer of 1916, Gibbons remained in the Inflexible until January 1918, when he removed to the Royal Oak, in which battleship he served until April 1921. He purchased his discharge in June 1925 and was embodied in the Royal Fleet Reserve in the same month.

Walter Dudley was born in Birmingham in April 1898 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1915. On completing his training at Ganges, and on Warrior, he was appointed an Ordinary Signaller, and, following brief service in the M. 25, transferred to the destroyer Radiant, aboard which ship he served from March 1917 until February 1918, a period that encompassed her winning the Battle Honour “Belgian Coast 1917”. From May until September 1918, Dudley served in the Chester, in which cruiser “Boy” Cornwell had won the V.C. at Jutland, and by the close of hostilities he was aboard another cruiser, the Carlisle. Dudley was discharged to the Royal Fleet Reserve in June 1922.