A Collection of Medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed by Commander Ron Champion, RN

Six: Able Seaman C. T. Andrew, Royal Navy, a veteran of the Battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland and the recipient of a Russian Medal of St. George

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Ord., H.M.S. Niobe); 1914-15 Star (193645 A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (193645 A.B., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., Admiral’s bust (193645 A.B., H.M.S. New Zealand); Russian Medal of St. George, 4th class, the reverse officially numbered ‘1272360’ good very fine or better (6) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines formed by Commander Ron Champion, RN.

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Christopher Thomas Andrew was born in Cornwall in February 1881 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1897. Advanced to Ordinary Seaman during his time aboard H.M.S. Niobe between February 1899 and October 1900, when he served off South Africa, he was further advanced to Able Seaman in the following year. In November 1912, Andrew joined the battle cruiser New Zealand, in which ship he would remain on active service throughout the Great War, witnessing action at Heligoland in 1914, Dogger Bank in 1915 and Jutland in 1916.

For his services on the latter occasion he was awarded the Russian Medal of St. George, as verified in Admiralty records. The crew of the New Zealand had the misfortune to witness the loss of the Indefatigable and the Queen Mary, passing the latter battle cruiser on the port beam at just 50 yards range when she blew up. But throughout her crew continued to engage the enemy with numerous well-aimed salvoes, the whole under the direction of Admiral Pakenham and Captain John Green. The latter was wearing ‘a Maori rush kilt or war mat, called a piu-piu, which had been given to the ship by a Maori Chief in the ship’s cruise round the world in 1913-14, with the injunction that it was always to be worn by the Captain of the New Zealand when in action’ (See The Fighting at Jutland for a full account of New Zealand’s activities).

Andrew was finally discharged ashore in March 1921.