Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Fleet Reserve L.S., G.V.R., 2nd issue, coinage bust (SS. 4750 (Ch. B. 11434) E. Durkin, A.B., R.F.R.) extremely fine £20-30

Edward Durkin was born at York in March 1895 and entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in February 1914. By the outbreak of hostilities he was serving in the battleship H.M.S. Mars and in January 1915 he removed to the cruiser Royal Arthur, in which latter ship he remained until coming ashore to Pembroke I in July 1916. Durkin’s next appointment, between November 1916 and April 1917, is not clear on his service record, but he is known to have joined the monitor General Wolfe in May 1917 and was still serving in her off the Belgian coast at the time of the Armistice - see Lot 892 for further details. Durkin was demobilsed in March 1919 and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve in the same month.