Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (3) (294999. William Hardy, Sto. 1Cl. H.M.S. Kent.; 194892. W. L. Clark. A.B. H.M.S. Crescent.; 343727. F. W. Crowe, Blksmth. H.M.S. Juno.) generally very fine and better (3) £100-£140

William Hardy was born in Bristol on 2 February 1881. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in February 1900 and first served with H.M.S. Duke of Wellington II. Prior to the outbreak of the Great War, Hardy served with several ships including the gunboat H.M.S. Karakatta, the cruiser H.M.S. Crescent and the pre-dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Jupiter. He joined the Royal Fleet Reserve in February 1912 and was recalled at the outbreak of the Great War. Hardy spent nearly the entire war on the crew of the cruiser H.M.S. Kent, joining her in October 1914 and remaining with her until June 1918. During this time Kent was heavily involved in the Battle of the Falkland Islands, where she sunk the German cruiser Nuremberg. In March 1915, she was also involved in the Battle of Más a Tierra, where the German cruiser Dresden was forced to surrender and was then scuttled. It was whilst serving with Kent that Hardy was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He was invalided out of the service in July 1919 whilst serving with H.M.S. Attentive II.

William Logan Clark was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, on 20 December 1881. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in August 1897 as a Boy Second Class and first served with H.M.S. Impregnable. Prior to the outbreak of the Great War, Clark had served with several ships including the armoured frigate H.M.S. Agincourt, the cruiser H.M.S. Hyacynth and the pre-dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Repulse. At the beginning of hostilities, Clark was serving with the armed merchant cruiser, H.M.S. Victorian which had been recently converted from an ocean liner. In February 1915 he transferred to the cruiser H.M.S. Diamond and between October 1916 and December 1919 he was ‘lent’ to the Royal Indian Marine, serving as a Temporary Warrant Officer. Following the end of the war, Clark was serving with the Cruiser H.M.S. Crescent and it was during his posting that he was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He was demobilised in December 1921.

Frederick William Crowe was born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, on 11 November 1876. He enlisted into the Royal Navy in October 1900 and first served with the shore establishment H.M.S. Pembroke II. Prior to the outbreak of the Great War, Crowe had served with several ships including the cruisers H.M.S. Grafton, Blenheim and Andromache. In July 1914 he joined the cruiser H.M.S. Juno and remained with her until May 1917. During this time Juno was involved in operations off the Persian Gulf and engagements at Bushire during the Tangistani raids between July and August 1915. It was whilst serving with this ship that Crowe was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Crowe was transferred to H.M.S. Vulcan in September 1917 and was discharged with a pension in October 1922, whilst serving with H.M.S. Hecla.