Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Able Seaman F. W. Cottrell, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Fox during the Persian Gulf operations and the East Africa Campaign, and later took part in the Battle of Jutland aboard H.M.S. Revenge

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (J. 8529 F. W. Cottrell, A.B. H.M.S. Fox.); 1914-15 Star (J. 8529, F. W. Cottrell, A.B. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 8529 F. W. Cottrell. A.B. R.N.) contact marks, very fine (4) £160-£200

Francis William Cottrell was born in Swindon in June 1894. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in May 1910 and was assigned to the school ship H.M.S. Impregnable as a Boy Second Class (Bugler). He joined the cruiser H.M.S. Fox in January 1914 and was involved in the Persian Gulf operations. In August, whilst off Colombo, Ceylon, Fox captured two German merchant ships, the Australia and the Holtenfels. Between 3 and 4 November 1914, H.M.S. Fox supported the unsuccessful attack on the port of Tanga in German East Africa and then participated in the hunt for the German cruiser S.M.S. Königsberg. She was also involved in the raid on Dar-es-Salaam where she bombarded the city. Cottrell was later posted to the super-dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Revenge and was present at the Battle of Jutland. He continued to serve in the navy until June 1924.