Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Chief Petty Officer C. G. R. Reynolds, Royal Navy, who made a gallant attempt to save the life of a seaman who fell overboard between the battlecruiser H.M.S. Invincible and a collier in Scapa Flow

1914-15 Star (133354. C. G. R. Reynolds. C.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (133354 C. G. R. Reynolds. C.P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (133354 C. G. R. Reynolds, C.P.O. H.M.S. President III.); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (unsuccessful) (C. G. R. Reynolds. R.N. 19th. April 1909.) with integral top riband buckle, very fine and better (5) £240-£280

R.H.S. Case No. 36588: ‘On the 19th April 1909, R. Brown, A.B., fell overboard from H.M.S. Invincible in Scapa Flow, Orkney, the sea being rough at the time. Denison, Reynolds and O’Rourke at great risk endeavoured to save him, but failed.’

Charles George Richard Reynolds was born in Southsea on 9 May 1870 and joined the Royal Navy at Portsmouth as Boy 2nd Class on 22 November 1888. Raised Ordinary Seaman aboard Calliope and Leading Seaman aboard Collingwood, he was advanced Petty Officer in 1897 and Chief Petty Officer aboard the protected cruiser Amethyst on 24 October 1908. A few months later he was awarded the R.H.S. Medal in bronze, his service record stating: ‘Strongly commended by C in C Home Fleet for his promptness in endeavouring to save the life of Brown, A.B. 167999 on the 19th April 1909.’

Shore pensioned on 10 May 1910, Reynolds transferred the following day to the Royal Fleet Reserve, with whom he served during the Great War; posted to Eagle from 25 September 1914 to 5 April 1916 and the cruiser Liverpool from 6 January 1917 to 16 April 1919, he witnessed the end of hostilities as part of the Aegean Squadron. Liverpool was later committed to the Russian Intervention, supporting the White Army from November 1918 and later transporting military delegations to the port of Novorossisk to establish contact with General Anton Denikin. Awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal on 24 January 1919, Reynolds died in Wolverhampton in March 1954.