Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (158178 C. V. Moses, P.O. 1Cl., H.M.S. Hecla.) together with related British War Medal (115521 F. Moses. C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (179769 Thomas Kearns, P.O. 1Cl. H.M.S. Fox.) this last very fine, otherwise extremely fine (3) £60-£80

Charles Victor Moses was born on 13 November 1875 at Ryde, Isle of Wight. He was probably the younger brother of Frank Moses, and was a schoolboy before he entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in St Vincent on 24 November 1890, aged 15. He advanced to Boy 1st Class on 26 November 1891, moving to Victory I on 21 July 1892, and to Canada on 31 December 1892, where he advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 13 October 1893, and when he took an engagement for 12 years, which was later extended on 13 October 1905 ‘to complete’ - although he remained serving throughout W.W.I until demobilised on 1 August 1919, at the age of nearly 44. He was in Hecla from 14 May 1908 to 19 March 1912, receiving his L.S. & G.C. fairly soon after his arrival.

Sold with copied records of service for both men.

Thomas Kearns was born on 1 January 1879, at Guileen, County Cork, and was a labourer before joining the Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 27 June 1894, at the age of 15 years 6 months. Advanced to Boy 1st Class on 9 May 1895, and Ordinary Seaman on 1 January 1897, when he took a 12 year engagement on his 18th birthday whilst in Devastation, which he volunteered ‘to complete' on 28 December 1908.
He served in both Aurora and Plover before rising to Leading Seaman on 9 August 1900, to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 7 February 1901, and to Petty Officer 1st Class on 17 April 1902 at the age of a little over 23.

He was in Plover during the Third China War and was one of only 74 to receive the medal (without clasp) in this ship.

He trained as a Seaman Gunner and was 2nd Captain of a Gun by 27 October 1903, and a Gunlayer 3rd Class in June 1909. He joined Fox on 24 May 1910, and remained in her until 15 July 1912. For some reason or other he never rose to Chief Petty Officer, although gaining all three Good Conduct Badges as well as this L.S. & G.C., for which he was ‘traced' on 12 February 1912. He seems to have been invalided from the service on 24 October 1913, suffering from locomotor ataxy ("morbid unsteadiness in use of arms, legs etc, and irregularity of animal functions"). He was traced for pension on both 4 November 1913 and on 19 January 1919, but there is no mention of service in WWI which, in view of his illness, is hardly surprising.

Sold with copied record of service.