Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Able Seaman G. Cate, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (J. 39584 A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J. 39584 A.B., R.N.), the first in card forwarding box with registered envelope, together with related Silver War Badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘RN 41630’, and two masonic temperance awards, in silver-gilt and enamel, one named, good very fine and better (6) £30-40

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Selection of Medals from the Collection of the Late Noel Morris.

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George Cate was born in the mining village of Ouston, Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham in May 1899. His mother, Matilda, nee Hobbs, had family connections with the famous cricketer Sir Jack Hobbs.

Young George entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in March 1915 and served aboard the battleship H.M.S. Illustrious from July to November of the same year. His next seagoing appointment was as an Ordinary Seaman in the Vengeance, in which battleship he served until November 1916, when he came ashore to Pembroke. Then between March and September 1917 he served aboard the Minstrel, the first of a succession of appointments in destroyers, the Lookout following between March and July 1918 and the Tilbury between August 1918 and March 1919, the latter including time in Russian waters.

Cate was invalided in July 1919, his service record confirming his entitlement to the Silver War Badge in addition to chevrons awarded in 1915 and 1916, possibly as a result of wounds. He died at Hartlepool in February 1986.

Also sold with Genoese, Maltese and Spanish picture postcard albums, in addition to unbound postcard views of Taranto and Sebastopol; copied service record, etc.