Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Lieutenant L. Blumfeld, Royal Navy, a Jutland veteran who died on active service in July 1918

1914-15 Star (S. Lt. L. Blumfeld, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. L. Blumfeld, R.N.), mounted as worn, presumably by his mother, nearly extremely fine (3) £300-350

Louis Blumfeld was born in Hampstead, London in May 1893, the son of Colonel James Blumfeld of the Middlesex Regiment, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet at Osborne in May 1906.

A Sub. Lieutenant serving aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Achilles on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he remained similarly employed until removing to the light cruiser Comus in early May 1916, in which ship he was subsequently present at Jutland. On that occasion, the Comus, with her consorts in 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, formed part of the anti-submarine screen for the battleships of the Grand Fleet - taking part in the main engagement at 7.15 p.m., Comus was one of the last ships to exchange fire with the enemy, as late as 8.30 p.m.

In April 1917, Blumfeld removed to the sloop Lupin, and remained employed in that capacity until joining the battle cruiser Inflexible as a recently promoted Lieutenant that October. And he was still serving in her at the time of his demise from pneumonia in July 1918. Aged 25 years, he was buried in South Queensferry Cemetery, West Lothian. His brother, Hubert, a Lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment, also died on active service, and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.