Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Russian Intervention ‘Baltic 1919’ operations D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Petty Officer Arthur Newbury, Royal Navy, for services in the destroyer H.M.S. Walker which suffered two hits from the battleship Petropavlovsk during an attempted breakout by the Bolshevik fleet.

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (213724. A. Newbury. P.O. “Walker” Baltic 1919.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (213724. A. Newbury, A.B., H.M.S. Philomel:); 1914-15 Star (213724. A. Newbury, P.O. 1., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (213724. A. Newbury, P.O. R.N.); Italy, Kingdom, Messina Earthquake 1908, silver; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue ((213724. Arthur Newbury, P.O. H.M.S. Vernon.) light contact marks, nearly very fine (7) £1,600-£2,000

D.S.M. London Gazette 8 March 1920.

H.M.S. Walker took part in the British campaign against Bolshevik forces in the Baltic Sea during 1919, seeing action against Russian warships; from May 1919 she participated in a blockade of Bolshevik warships in Kronstadt and suffered two hits from the Bolshevik battleship Petropavlovsk during an attempted breakout by the Bolshevik fleet.

Arthur Newbury was born in Dorchester, Dorset, on 16 June 1885, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 28 March 1901. Whilst serving as an Able Seaman in H.M.S. Philomel, 12 February 1908 to 25 July 1909, he saw service with the Mediterranean fleet and provided service at Messina following the devastating earthquake there in December 1908. Thirty-five men from Philomel subsequently received the Italian medal for this incident. Philomel went on to run patrols from Aden in the Persian Gulf and served in the operations off Somaliland, 1908-10, for which he received the medal with clasp. Advanced to Leading Seaman in April 1912 and to Petty Officer in January 1914, he achieved Chief Petty Officer status in September 1920, having received his L.S. & G.C. medal earlier in the same year. He was shore pensioned on 15 June 1925 and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve on the following day. Sold with copied record of service.