HOWE BATTALION ANTWERP WW1 ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION 1914 MEDAL GROUP SX4/213 HILLMAN

Offered is a 1914 Star, impressed named SX/4/213 E. HILLMAN, AB.RN.VR. HOWE BTTN.R.N.D. with copy date clasp; British War and Victory medals, impressed named S.4-213 E. HILLMAN. A.B. R.N.V.R. Comes with copies RND papers, R.N.V.R service papers and medal roll.

Edward Hillman was born 2/11/1896, a sheet maker by trade, he enlisted into the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve on the 4/5/1914. He joined the Howe Battalion 22/8/1914. The Battalion had only come into being on the 6/8/1914 created from surplus men of the Naval Reserve. On the 5/10/1914 Hillman landed in France, by the 6th they were in Antwerp and that night were in trenches between forts in the inner ring. By 11/10/14 the Battalion had managed to extract itself from Antwerp and was back in England. On the 28/10/14 Hillman was discharged to the R.N Depot in Portsmouth.

He then served on the following ships: HMS VICTORY I, 29/10/14 – 27/11/14. HMS Calyx 28/11/1914 – 27/3/15 (Armed Merchant Cruiser). HMS Victory I,28/3/15- 22/4/15. AMC ARLANZA (Armed Merchant Cruiser) 23/4/15 – 24/11/15. HMS VICTORY 25/11/15 – 13/12/15. HMS Excellent (Shore gunnery school) 14/12/15 – 27/12/1915.

HMS Duke of Clarence. (an armed boarding steamer, stationed in the Channel approaches and later on the Northern Patrol) 28/12/15 – March 1916. VICTORIOUS III, April 16 – 30/6/17. Victory 1 1/7/17 – 11/8/17, HMS Excellent (Shore gunnery school) 12/8/17 – 4/11/1917. PRESIDENR III. 5/11/17 – 5/2/19 and demobilised.

The 1939 census records Hillman as a widower and employed as locomotive driver on the railway.

Note: many sailors served on a variety of small ships for short or longer periods. The ships were not recorded on his records apart from the base or pay station that was accountable for him. Hence service on Victory and President.

Victory 1: Portsmouth Depot.

PRESIDENT III :Bristol, Windsor, London Accounting Basde. 1916 active service RFR, RNVR, and RNR. 1918 DAMS accounts