Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Leading Cook’s Mate H. W. Dyer, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Ghurka was sunk after hitting a German mine off Dungeness on 8 February 1917

1914-15 Star (M.57, H. W. Dyer. L. Ck. Mte., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (M.57 H. W. Dyer. Ck. Mte. R.N.) in named card boxes of issue, extremely fine (3) £100-£140

Henry William Dyer was born in Godalming, Surrey, on 9 March 1887 and joined the Royal Navy at an Acting 2nd Cook’s Mate on 1 January 1908. Advanced Leading Cook’s Mate on 1 September 1911, he joined H.M.S. Attentive II for service aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Ghurka on 28 July 1914, which following the outbreak of the Great War formed part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Dover as part of the Dover Patrol. In March 1915, Ghurka assisted in the destruction of the German submarine U-8, which was caught in nets laid across the Straits of Dover, and later took part as an escort in the bombardment of Zeebrugge on 23 August 1915.

Dyer was killed in action when H.M.S. Ghurka stuck a German mine in the English Channel and sunk off Dungeness on 8 February 1917; of the crew of 79, there were only 5 survivors. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Sold with copied record of service and other research, including a postcard photograph of H.M.S. Ghurka.