Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Ship’s Steward F. E. A. Nixon, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Pathfinder was torpedoed and sunk by the German Submarine U-21 in the Firth of Forth on 5 September 1914

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (219829 F. E. A. Nixon, S.S.A. H.M.S. Philomel:); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (219829 F. E. A. Nixon, Sh. Std. 2 Cl. H.M.S. Philomel.); 1914-15 Star (219829, F. E. Nixon, S.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (219829 F. E. A. Nixon. S.S. R.N.), very fine (5) £240-£280

Francis Eugene Archer Nixon was born in Birmingham on 27 May 1884 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 19 March 1902. Appointed Ship’s Steward’s Assistant on 26 October 1903, he was posted to H.M.S. Philomel on 27 July 1909, and served in her during the operations on and off the coast of Somaliland and in the Persian Gulf. Promoted Ship’s Steward in H.M.S. Pathfinder on 8 November 1913, he served in her during the initial stages of the Great War, and was killed in action on 5 September 1914, when Pathfinder was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat SM U-21 off St. Abb’s Head in the Firth of Forth on 5 September 1914, and sank within four minutes with the loss of nearly all hands - the first ship ever to be sunk by a self-propelled torpedo fired by a submarine. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.