Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Chief Petty Officer Charles Stephens, Royal Navy and Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was interned in Holland for the duration of the war after the retreat from Antwerp in 1914

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Sierra Leone 1898-99 (254240 Ld: Sm: C. Stephens, H.M.S Fox); China 1900, no clasp (C. Stephens, P.O. 1 Cl., H.M.S. Wallaroo); 1914 Star, with clasp (154240. C. Stephens, Act. C.P.O. Hawke Bttn R.N.D.); British War and Victory Medals (254240 C. Stephens. C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (154240 Charles Stephens, P.O. 1 Cl, H.M.S. Excellent) the earlier medals with contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine or better (6) £500-£600

Charles Stephens was born at Lymington, Hampshire, on 12 December 1874, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 26 February 1890. By the time he joined H.M.S. Fox in April 1896 he had been advanced to Able Seaman, and was further advanced to Leading Seaman in April 1897, and to Petty Officer 2nd Class in April 1898, having just taken part in the expedition to Lokko, Sierra Leone, the previous month. He became a Petty Officer 1st Class in October 1899 and joined the cruiser H.M.S. Wallaroo in February 1900, seeing service in China during the Boxer rebellion in that year. He served in the Hawke Battalion with the Royal Naval Division in 1914 and was interned in Holland for the duration of the war after the retreat from Dunkirk in September 1914. Released from captivity on 1 March 1918, he was demobilised on 4 July 1919.