A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Navy

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Lieut. F. E. M. Roe, R.N., H.M.S. Sybille) engraved naming, extremely fine £400-460

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Navy.

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Frank Edward Mervyn Roe was born in Salisbury on 21 January 1876. He entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in July 1890 and was appointed a Sub Lieutenant/Acting Lieutenant in September 1895 and Lieutenant in December 1898. At the time of his promotion he was serving on the Harrier and it was reported that he was ‘a Navigator of the highest class’. Later, serving on the Pelorus, August-October 1900, he was reported as being a ‘Good Navigator, untrustworthy pilot, too slow to act as executive officer’. Worse still on his next ship, the Monarch, ‘Given to drinking a good deal of wine but not been seen otherwise than sober. Slow in thought & action’. His papers show a hiatus in his service record between October 1900 and February 1905 but he is confirmed as a Lieutenant aboard the 2nd class cruiser Sybille for his Q.S.A. Medal. The Sybille was the only Royal Navy ship to be lost during the Boer War when she ran aground in bad weather off Lambert’s Bay on 16 January 1901. The Captain was ashore at the time - some reports had it that he and other Officers were attending a party - and four Officers were subsequently found guilty at a court-martial for her loss. The crew abandoned the Sybille after she struck a reef during the night and were taken off in five boats, a process that took ten hours, one man being lost. Interestingly, in light of the above events, Roe was ‘retired under the provisions of Order of Council of 30 December 1884’ in late 1902. Nevertheless his service record resumes with service on the Hermione ‘for passage home during February/March 1905. He then served on the battleship Canopus, December 1905-December 1906. On 10 December 1906 he was tried by Court Martial ‘for negligent performance of duty’ for which he was reprimanded and dismissed from the ship. Serving on Europa, January-February 1907 and Hyacinth, February-June 1907, his naval career lurched to an end when he was again tried by Court Martial ‘for drinking intoxicating liquors to excess’, for which he was deprived of one years seniority and dismissed from the ship. On 24 July 1907 as a result of his misconduct he was placed on the Retired List.

Opting for the Army on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Roe attested service with the Rifle Brigade and was promoted to Corporal in October 1914. On 23 November 1914 he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war with the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. His brave actions on 18 December 1914 were rewarded with the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal (London Gazette 1 April 1915), the citation for which reads, ‘For gallant conduct on 18th December, 1914, in voluntarily going to reconnoitre the enemy’s trenches and remaining out for a period of three hours in a position of danger’. On 4 February 1915, near Ploegsteert Wood, he received a shrapnel wound to his arm and was invalided home. Commissioned an officer in the 5th (Reserve) Battalion Rifle Brigade on 7 February, he returned to France in May 1915 and in July was advanced to Captain. On 9 July he was wounded a second time while engaged in erecting wire entanglements in front of the trenches and was again evacuated to England. For his services he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1916). Returning to France for the third time in March 1916, Captain Roe, 12th Battalion Rifle Brigade was mortally wounded on 6 June 1916 and died the next day at No.10 Casualty Clearing Station. He was buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Sold with copied Royal Navy service paper, Army service papers and other research.