Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Stoker Petty Officer F. Lee, H.M.S. Opal, Royal Navy, who drowned when Opal sank in a violent gale off Scapa Flow on 12 January 1918

1914-15 Star (281902. F. Lee. S.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (281902 F. Lee. S.P.O. R.N.) nearly extremely fine (3) £140-£180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for the Battle of Jutland.

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The destroyer H.M.S. Opal was launched on 11 September 1915 and was part of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland.

Francis Lee was born in Kirk-Ella, Yorkshire, on 27 February 1877 and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 18 January 1896. He served in H.M.S. Centurion during the China War (entitled to a no clasp medal), and was advanced Stoker Petty Officer on 1 December 1915. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Opal from 15 March 1916, and died on 12 January 1918, when Opal, along with her sister ship H.M.S. Narborough, sank in a violent gale off Scapa Flow. There was only one survivor from the two ships. Lee is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Sold with a postcard photograph of the recipient and copied research, including an account of the sinking of H.M.S. Opal.