Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Victory Medal 1914-19 (6) (K.48800 A. Crew. Sto. 2. R.N.; J.38198 E. G. Hedges. A.B. R.N.; J.5069 C. T. Howard A.B. R.N. L.5513 A. B. Hubert. O.S.3 R.N.; J.31464 A. Rodd. A.B. R.N.; J.29911 W. White. Boy 1. R.N.) generally nearly very fine (6) £100-£140

Arthur Crew, of Woolwich, was born on 2 September 1889 and enlisted in the Royal Navy on 28 January 1918. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Cumberland on convoy escort duties and died of disease on October 2 1918. He is buried at St Thomas’s Churchyard, Charlton.

Edward Greenell Hedges, of Worcester, was born on 23 October 1899 and joined the Royal Navy in 1917. He was serving in H.M.S. Valiant when he contracted pneumonia, and died on 30 October 1918. He is buried in the Upton-on-Severn Cemetery.

Charles Thomas Howard, of Kingston, Surrey was born on 19 October 1893 and enlisted into the Royal Navy in 1911, serving on a variety of ships including H.M.S. Bulwark, Black Prince, and Monarch. He was serving in H.M.S. Albacore when she struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC-44 off Kirkwall on 9 March 1917. The resultant explosion blew off the ship’s bow and killed 17 of her crew including Howard. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
Arthur Bond Hubert, of Eltham, London, was born on 8 August 1897 in St Helier, Jersey. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 22 July 1915 and was serving in H.M.S. Penn when he contracted pneumonia. He died of the disease on 1 October 1918 and is buried in Greenwich Cemetery.

Abraham Rodd was born on 1 July 1895 in Cardiff. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1916 and was invalided out in 1919. He was entitled to the Silver War Badge number 44573.

William White was born on 8 January 1897 in Dumfries. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in March 1914 and was serving in H.M.S. Formidable, part of the 5th Battle Squadron based at Portland, when she and the light cruisers Topaze and Diamond were taking part in gunnery exercises on 31 December 1914. Unbeknownst to them they were being stalked by a German submarine, the U-24, which launched a torpedo at Formidable in the early hours of 1 January 1915. The Formidable’s Captain tried to save his ship by bringing her close to shore, but just after 3:00 a.m. the U-24 launched another torpedo again hitting the battleship at the starboard bow. She remained afloat for over an hour but heavy seas made the rescue attempts difficult and she went down with the loss of 35 officers and 512 men. White was amongst those killed and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.