Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Plumber First Class G. F. Harvey, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Lion at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916

China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (G. F. Harvey, Plbr., H.M.S. Endymion); 1914-15 Star (340670 G. F. Harvey. Pbr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (340670 G. F. Harvey. Pbr. 1, R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (340670 G. F. Harvey. Plumber, H.M.S. Ramilles) contact marks to first, otherwise very fine (5) £400-£500

Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007.

George Frances Harvey was born at Devonport on 30 April 1874 and joined the Royal Navy as a Plumber’s Mate on 13 May 1895. Advanced Plumber on 1 October 1897, he served in H.M.S. Endymion from 8 June 1899 to 4 April 1902. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 23 May 1910, and served for almost the entirety of the Great War in H.M.S. Lion, and was present in her at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, where Lion was Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty’s fleet flagship of the Battle Cruiser Fleet. She was hit a total of 14 times during the battle, including sustaining near-catastrophic damage to Q-turret, and suffered 99 dead and 51 wounded. Although mortally wounded, Major Francis Harvey, Royal Marines, the Q-turret gun commander, ordered the magazine and turret to be flooded, which although costing him his life saved the magazine from exploding, which would undoubtedly have sunk the ship; for his bravery and self sacrifice he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

Harvey was finally shore demobilised to pension on 28 April 1920.

Sold with copied record of service and medal roll extracts.