Orders, Decorations and Medals

Seven: Engine Room Artificer 1st Class R. J. D. Watson, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (M.105 E.R.A.4, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (M.105 E.R.A.3, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; Royal Navy L.S & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (M.105 E.R.A.1, H.M.S. Vulcan) mounted as worn, good fine and better (7) £140-180

Robert James Daniel Watson was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire on 15 April 1892. He entered the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer on 3 January 1908 and was advanced to Engine Room Artificer 5th Class in January 1912. He was ranked as an Acting E.R.A. 4th Class in July 1913 and was confirmed in that rank in April 1914 and promoted to E.R.A. 3rd Class in January 1916. During the Great War he served on the scout cruiser Fearless, October 1913-July 1916 and September-December 1916 and saw action at the battles of Heliogoland Bight and Jutland - receiving prize bounties for both actions. He was based at Dolphin, December 1916-January 1917, then the light cruiser Arrogant, January-April 1917, before returning to Dolphin and the submarine service once more, May 1917-February 1919. Still in the submarine service, he was promoted to E.R.A. 2nd Class in April 1920 and E.R.A. 1st Class in January 1925. He was pensioned from the service in 1930. Returning to the service as an E.R.A. 1st Class in July 1935, he went on to serve throughout the Second World War, serving on the cruiser Calcutta, August 1939-March 1940 and later based at Pembroke, Lynx and Fullarton. He was released to the Reserve on 23 July 1945.

With ‘Submarine C.C.A.’ lapel badge; original Certificate of Service; photograph album bearing the title, ‘At war with H.M.S. Calcutta 1939-4(sic) - containing wartime, mainly naval photographs; ‘call up’ telegram, 23 August 1939, with envelope addressed to the recipient at ‘21 King Street, Deal’; another envelope addressed to the recipient at ‘79 Telegraph Road, Deal, Kent’; Certificate of Release from Naval Service, July 1945; certificate of registry of birth, 1892; baptism certificate, 1892; certificate for wounds and hurts, 1908; letters of recommendation (2), October 1921 and November 1921; Permit Book belonging to Kathleen Watson; and some copied research.