Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Silver R.V.M. group of seven awarded to Petty Officer John Vincent, Royal Navy, for services at the funeral of King George V, who was also mentioned in despatches for ‘great courage and devotion to duty’ when H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle was in action with the German armed merchant raider Thor in December 1940

Royal Victorian Medal, G.V.R., silver, unnamed as issued; British War Medal 1914-20 (J.91719 J. Vincent. Boy 1 R.N.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (J.91719 J. Vincent. P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (J.91719 J. Vincent. L.S. H.M.S. Excellent.) £360-£420

M.I.D. London Gazette 6 June 1941: ‘For great courage and devotion to duty in action against an armed merchant cruiser.’ All awards and mentions under this heading were to officers and crew of H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle for her action with the armed merchant cruiser Thor on 5 December 1940.

The German armed merchant cruiser Thor and the British armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle exchanged 6-inch shells 300 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. HMS Carnarvon Castle was hit 27 times (4 killed, 32 wounded) while Thor was able to disengage unharmed. H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle afterwards received temporary repairs at Montevideo, Uruguay, using steel plates salvaged from the scuttled German pocket battleship Graf Spee.

R.V.M. (Silver) awarded 18 February 1936, for services at the funeral of H.M. King George V.