Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Naval Good Shooting Medal, G.V.R. (187520 H. Richardson, P.O., H.M.S. Hecla. 1913. 4In. B.L.) nearly extremely fine £300-£400

Henry Richardson was born on 29 September 1878, at Canterbury, Kent. He joined the Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 3 February 1896, at the age of 17½. On 29 September 1896, he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman and signed on for a 12 year engagement. He was advanced to Able Seaman on 23 April 1899 and, having specialised as a Seaman Gunner, was advanced to Gunlayer on 24 May 1905. He was advanced to Leading Seaman on 17 September 1903 and to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 1 April 1904, advancing to Petty Officer 1st Class on 1 March 1905. On 23 November 1906, he signed on again ‘to complete' for pension.

However, he had a chequered career from a disciplinary point of view both before this and later. He was awarded his first two Good Conduct Badges in September 1899 and September 1904, but one was removed in September 1905, but restored in March 1906. His 3rd GCB was awarded in September 1909, but all three were removed when he was disrated by warrant to Able Seaman on 7 April 1910 for drunkenness on board Cressy and breaking out of her. The first GCB was restored in October 1910 and he was advanced to Leading Seaman on 3 November 1910, only to be disrated again on 29 December of that year. His GCBs continued to fluctuate until his 3rd was finally restored on 2 April 1918.

Meanwhile he was again advanced to Leading Seaman on 1 January 1913 and to Petty Officer again on 1 February 1914 in Hecla, which he had joined on 20 August 1913 - just in time to display his gunnery skills and be awarded the Naval Good Shooting Medal in that year. He remained in Hecla until 4 March 1914. For most of the war (July 1914 to September 1917) he was in Leda, a torpedo gunboat of 810 tons. His 22 years’ engagement should have expired on about 28 September 1918, and although pension is not mentioned on his papers, it is noted that he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve on 25 September 1918, and continued his service in Beaver, a destroyer that he had joined in February 1918. He was finally demobilised on 8 June 1920. In view of his disciplinary record, he was not awarded an LS & GC medal.

Sold with copied record of service and ‘Result of Test of Gunlayers’ for 1913.