Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Engine Room Artificer R. Banks, Royal Navy, attached Royal Australian Navy, who died of disease on active service on 27 February 1915

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (R. Banks, E.R.A. H.M.S. Forte.); 1914-15 Star (268806 R. Banks, E.R.A.1 R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (268806 R. Banks. E.R.A.1 R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (268806 Robert Banks, E.R.A. 1Cl, H.M.S. Ganges.); Memorial Plaque (Robert Banks) the plaque heavily polished and mounted on a wooden plinth, with screws at 3 and 9 o’clock; edge bruising and contact marks to the QSA and LS&GC, these nearly very fine, the Great War trio nearly extremely fine (6) £240-£280

Robert Banks was born in Hull, Yorkshire, on 28 December 1872, and joined the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer 4th Class on 16 July 1896. He transferred to H.M.S. Forte on 30 April 1899, and served in her during the Boer War, being promoted Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class on 9 November 1899. Advanced Engine Room Artificer 1st Class on 5 November 1908, he served during the Great War attached to the Royal Australian Navy, serving in H.M.A.S. Encounter, and died of Stoke Adams Disease at Suva on 27 February 1915. He is buried in Suva Old Cemetery, Fiji.