Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (200320 W. C. Patton, A.B. H.M.S. Hyacinth:) good very fine £200-£240

William Campbell Patton was born in Fulwood, Lancashire, on 18 May 1883 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 30 June 1898. Advanced Able Seaman on 1 June 1902, he served aboard various warships as a qualified Gunner, before joining the cruiser H.M.S. Hyacinth on 27 March 1909, seeing active service during the operations on and off the coast of Somaliland against the ‘Mad Mullah’. He saw further service in the anti-gun smuggling operations in the Persian Gulf from 19 October 1909 until 2 June 1911 (also entitled to a Naval General Service Medal with clasp Persian Gulf), before joining the Royal Naval Reserve on 7 June 1913.

Patton was recalled to the Service on 5 August 1914, and was posted to the Destroyer H.M.S. Albacore, proceeding in her to Scapa Flow to join the local patrol flotilla protecting the anchorage of the Grand Fleet. He was killed in action on 9 March 1917, when Albacore struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC-44 off Kirkwall, which resulted in her bow being blown off with the loss of 17 lives. Patton is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Sold with copied record of service; a photographic image of H.M.S. Albacore after the explosion; and copied research.