Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A very scarce bronze Polar medal pair to Seaman G. R. W. Leary, Royal Naval Reserve, who served in H.M.S. Morning, the relief ship sent to find H.M.S. Discovery in the summer of 1903, and who went on to serve in H.M.S. Inflexible in the Great War and was present at the battle of the Falkland Islands, Gallipoli and Jutland

Polar Medal 1904, E.VII.R., bronze (G. Leary “Morning” 1902-4); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (D1408 G. R. W. Leary. Seaman, R.N.R.); together with Russia, Imperial, Medal of St. George, 4th Class, reverse numbered ‘996489’, very fine (3) £3,000-£4,000

Glendining’s, March 1985.

George Robert William Leary was born in Hull on 23 December 1868, and was aged 33 when he joined Morning on 7 July 1902, at Poplar, East London. He was discharged from the ship on 18 October 1904, at Plymouth, having served during both relief voyages in 1903 and 1904 as an Able Seaman and (from 9 June 1904, on the way home to U.K.) as Cook. He had joined from the Willson Line S. S. Montebello. He was an experienced whaler, and his Record of Service in the Royal Naval Reserve shows that he enrolled on 15 May 1895. He was called up for war service on 26 August 1914 and sent to H.M.S. Pembroke, but was sent almost straightaway to the battle cruiser H.M.S. Inflexible on 4 September 14. Three months later, the ship took part in the battle of the Falkland Islands and at Gallipoli, and later, on 31 May 1916, the battle of Jutland. He remained in her as a Seaman throughout the war until he was demobilised on 18 February 1919. He was awarded a Good Conduct Badge on 25 August 1917. He is believed to have died in Hull on 3 November 1941, aged 73. He is also entitled to a 1914-15 Star trio.

H.M.S. Morning was the relief ship which was sent to H.M.S. Discovery in the summer of 1903. Due to ice conditions it was not possible for Morning to reach Discovery, and stores had to be sledged across the ice from one vessel to the other. 24 bronze medals to H.M.S. Morning, only 20 with these dates.

Russian medal of St. George 4th Class, awarded for Jutland, (Admiralty Weekly Order 1774 of 30 May 1918) to Seaman ‘George R. W. Leary, R.N.R. O.N. 1408 D.’ The Russian award is also confirmed as having been awarded in his R.N.R. Service papers and has been added to the group by the vendor to represent the recipient’s entitlement.

Sold with copied research including a copied photograph of the recipient supplied by the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand.