Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

One: Stoker First Class J. Mather, H.M.S. Falmouth, Royal Naval Reserve, who survived the sinking of H.M.S. Falmouth off Flamborough Head on 20 August 1916

Victory Medal 1914-19 (8058S. J. Mather. Sto. R.N.R.) light contact marks, very fine £40-£50

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for the Battle of Jutland.

View
Collection

The light cruiser H.M.S. Falmouth was launched on 20 September 1910 and was the flagship of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland, firing a total of 175 shells during the battle, the most of any British light cruiser.

John Mather was born in West Cornforth, co. Durham, on 3 March 1888 and joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 14 July 1915. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Falmouth from 2 March 1916, and was present in her when she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-66 on the afternoon of 19 August 1916. Shortly after she was struck the armed trawler Cooksin went alongside and took off all the men not required to work the ship. Limping her way back to port at a speed of 2 knots, she was torpedoed again the following morning, this time by U-63, and sunk off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. Remarkably no one was killed in the attacks, but one man later died of his injuries.

Mather was demobilised on 26 April 1919.