Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Able Seaman C. J. Mace, Royal Navy, who served at Gallipoli at a mere 16 years of age

1914-15 Star (J.35115. C. J. Mace. Boy. 1., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.35115 C. J. Mace. A.B. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, the Great War medals heavily polished, therefore fair to fine, the Second War medals nearly extremely fine (7) £160-£200

Charles John Mace was born in Brixton on 5 March 1899 and joined the Royal Navy at Chatham as Boy 2nd Class on 31 January 1915. Posted to the pre-dreadnought battleship Glory from 18 June 1915 to 10 April 1916, he served during the Dardanelles Campaign; although too late to participate in the bombardment of the Ottoman forts and with the ground forces already ashore, it instead fell to a large portion of her crew to assist with the landing of weapons and stores, often under heavy Turkish fire. Glory later joined the battleship Prince George in shelling enemy positions on the peninsula in October 1915, but she was withdrawn at the end of the year and assigned to the Suez Canal Patrol.

Posted to Pembroke and Chatham for the remainder of the Great War, Mace was raised Able Seaman but repeatedly found himself in trouble with the naval authorities; admitted to the cells on six separate occasions, he was demobilised on 6 July 1928.

Sold with a small photograph of the recipient in naval uniform, annotated in pencil to reverse ‘Sept. 1943.’