Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Able Seaman J. Day, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Challenger in the Naval Brigade ashore in the Cameroons and German East Africa, and was involved in the hunt for and destruction of S.M.S. Königsberg
Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (230601 J. Day, A.B.. H.M.S. Fox.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (230601. J. Day. A.B.. H.M.S. Fox); 1914-15 Star (230601. J. Day. A.B. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (230601 J. Day. A.B. R.N.) mounted court style as worn, light contact marks, small stain to lower edge of V.M., overall very fine (5) £400-£500

James Day was born in Bristol on 1 January 1887, and was a carter when he commenced naval service on 5 May 1904 as a Boy 2nd Class, H.M.S. Pembroke. He was advanced to Boy 1 Class, H.M.S. Northampton, on 1 July 1904, and to Ordinary Seaman, H.M.S. Vivid I, on 30 January 1906. He was advanced to Able Seaman in H.M.S. Monmouth on 14 February 1906, and remained as an Able Seaman for the remainder of his naval career. He was retired in 1922 on a reduced pension on reduction of the Navy. He had a slightly chequered disciplinary career having lost good conduct badges on three occasions, but by October 1919 he had attained three, but lost one on 12 August 1921 (restored 10 February 1922), however this meant that he was not eligible for the L.S. & G.C. medal. He served in H.M.S. Fox from 24 June 1908 to 13 July 1910 and in H.M.S. Challenger from 30 July 1914 to 11 January 1918. His service in the Great War was almost entirely in H.M.S. Challenger during which she was engaged in the campaign in German East Africa, including land operations ashore, in which it seems Day was involved. H.M.S. Challenger was involved in operations off the Cameroons and East Africa during the Great War, including the capture of Duala (Cameroons) on 27 September 1914, supporting the destruction of S.M.S. Königsberg on 15 July 1915, and the capture of Dar-es-Salaam on 4 September 1915. H.M.S. Challenger was in action against the Marie, the supply ship for S.M.S. Königsberg, on 26 April 1916, and supplied 5 officers and 50 sailors as part of a Naval Force of 300, under Commander Watson, R.N., to capture Bagamoyo. This they did even though they were shelled by Königsberg guns emplaced ashore. During bayonet charges and hand to hand fighting Captain R. H. Thomas, R.M., and the German officer in command were among the killed. It seems likely that Day also took part in operations ashore in 1916 and 1917, when a small Naval Brigade under Commander H. D. Bridges, R.N., were amongst the force that marched on Dar-es-Salaam which was captured on 4 September 1916.

Sold together with a portrait photograph of the recipient wearing the first two medals, and two odd bits of memorabilia, one comprising a German 1 Mark piece soldered to a small plaque engraved "Bombardment of Duala by H.M.S. Challenger 26 Sept 1914", and the second, a ½ Mark piece soldered to a little plaque which is engraved "Kamerun German Bullets 1914" - both reflecting the Cameroon operations in the second month of the Great War.