Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Great War campaign service group of six awarded to Sick Room Attendant R. G. Read, Royal Navy, who was attached to the R.N.A.S. Armoured Car Squadron in Russia and Roumania

1914-15 Star (M. 14078 R. G. Read, J.R.A., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (M. 14078 R. G. Read, S.R.A., R.N.); Board of Trade Rocket Apparatus Long Service, G.V.R. (Roy Read); St. John Service Medal (2658 Pte. R. G. Read, (Cromer) Div. No. 10 Dist., S.J.A.B., 1922); Russian Medal for Zeal, small, silver, Nicholas II, on St. Stanislaus riband, this last with unofficial second ring for suspension, good very fine or better (6) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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Roy Gray Read, a dairyman from Cromer, Norfolk, joined the R.N.A.S. (Armoured Car Detachment) in January 1915 and served out in France and Belgium prior to being embarked for Russia in December of the same year. In April 1916, he was rated Acting 2nd Sick Berth Steward for services in H.M.T. Umona, but in August of the same year was detached for service on the Caucasian front at Sigavie Hospital. His subsequent postings, listed in ADM 116 1717, were:

‘November-December 1916: on detached service in Dobrudsha.Topolul; December 1916: on detached service in Roumania. Braila; 4 April 1917: left Tiraspol base for detached service in Roumania. Galatz. Awarded Silver Breast Medal with St. Stanislaus ribbon for hard work; 22 May: returned to Tiraspol base; 8 June: left Tiraspol base for service in Galacia. Telyache; 13 September: left Proskurov base for Brovary base; 16 September: left Brovary for England on leave; 12 February 1918: arrived in England.’

The above record also notes that he was advanced to Sick Bay Steward in February 1917 and that he was ‘discharged to Chatham Barracks for duty’ in April 1918.