Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Able Seaman F. Lang, Royal Navy, who fought at Jutland as part of the 1st Battle Squadron
1914-15 Star (186050, F. Lang, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (186050. F. Lang. A.B. R.N.) good very fine

Pair: Able Seaman R. Rice, Royal Navy
British War and Victory Medals (J.49763 R. Rice. A.B. R.N.) mounted court-style for display, good very fine (5) £100-£140

Fred Lang was born in Topsham, Devon, on 13 November 1879, and joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class on 13 November 1897. Advance Able Seaman in H.M.S. Imperieuse 29 July 1899, he served during the Great War in the dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Agincourt from 6 August 1914 to 31 March 1919. Present at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, H.M.S. Agincourt fired 144 12-inch shells and 111 6-inch shells during the engagement, witnessing a heavy concentration of enemy retaliatory fire at ‘Windy Corner’ which drenched her upper decks but failed to do any damage.

Transferred to Scapa Flow on convoy escort duties, Lang later watched the surrender of the High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918 and was discharged to shore on 11 December 1919.

Reginald Rice was born at Sherston, near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, on 7 February 1892, and joined the Royal Navy as Ordinary Seaman on 7 February 1916. Posted to Queenstown, he was advanced Able Seaman 7 February 1917 and spent the final 6 weeks of the Great War serving in the cruiser H.M.S. Diana, engaged in patrols of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.