Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Paymaster Lieutenant-Commander Sydney G. Andrews, Royal Navy, who served aboard H.M.S. Kent throughout the Great War

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Clerk, R.N. H.M.S. Niobe); 1914-15 Star (Payr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Payr. Lt. Cr., R.N.) nearly extremely fine (4) £200-250

Sydney Andrews served as Paymaster of H.M.S. Kent from September 1914 until May 1918, during which time his duties included decoding messages. During the battle of the Falklands, he helped Surgeon Dixon to treat burn victims and is mentioned several times in his book The Enemy Fought Splendidly. Whilst the Glasgow and Cornwall chased and sank the Leipzig in the engagement on 8 December 1914, the Nurnberg was left to the Kent. After a long chase, Captain Allen finally closed to within 3,000 yards of the Nurnberg and smothered her with lyddite and common shell. Within an hour the Nurnberg ceased fire and lay a burning wreck. The Dresden, which had escaped form this initial action, was hunted down by Kent and Glasgow and was found on 15 March 1915. After being shelled for 4 minutes she surrendered. In February 1916, Kent sailed to South Georgia to search, without success, for Shackleton. She returned to Plymouth in January 1917.