Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Bushbury (Staffordshire) Peace Medal 1919, a superb die struck medallion, the obverse with central coinage head of George V, inscribed around the circumference with the names of the various British allies, animals of the colonies and ‘To commemorate the victorious peace 1919’, the reverse inscribed ‘In proud & affectionate rememberance, he gave his life for his country, presented by the people of Bushbury’, central shield engraved ‘1st Class Stoker G. Reynolds R.N. Drowned 5th June 1916 Age 26’, 76mm., silver, contained in a contemporary hinged display case, this with broken catch and rather scuffed, otherwise extremely fine and rare £300-£400

George Reynolds was born at Christ Church, Staffordshire, on 13 December 1889, and was a Police Constable before joining the Royal Navy as a Stoker on 12 July 1913. He joined H.M.S. Hampshire as a Stoker 2nd Class on 27 January 1914, being advanced to Stoker 1st Class on 1 May 1914. He was lost when H.M.S. Hampshire, conveying Field Marshal Lord Kitchener on a diplomatic mission to Russia, struck a German-mine off the Orkneys on 5 June 1916 and sank within 15 minutes with the loss of 737 lives. There were only 12 survivors. He was aged 26, the son of John G. Reynolds, of Ford House Road, Bushbury, near Wolverhampton. Sold with copied research.