Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Chief Stoker W. James, H.M.S. Minotaur, Royal Navy, who served as part of H.M.S. Powerful’s Naval Brigade at the Defence of Ladysmith

1914-15 Star (175914, W. James, Ch. Sto., R.N.) officially re-impressed naming; British War and Victory Medals (175914 W. James. Ch. Sto. R.N.) good very fine (3) £60-£80

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

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The armoured cruiser H.M.S. Minotaur was launched on 6 June 1906 and was the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland.

William James was born in Shorewell on the Isle of Wight on 24 October 1873 and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 25 September 1893. He served in H.M.S. Powerful during the Boer War as part of that ship’s Naval Brigade, and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with Defence of Ladysmith clasp. Advanced Chief Stoker on 25 May 1908, he was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 28 September 1908, and served during the Great War in H.M.S. Minotaur from the outbreak of War to 30 May 1918. He was shore pensioned on 30 December 1919, subsequently joining the Royal Fleet Reserve.