Description

Offered is a Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (V.R.) impressed named WALTER BLATCHFORD. STO 1^ST CL H.M.S. VIVID.; British War medal impressed named 116070 W. BLATCHFORD. S.P.O. R.N. Medals in as near mint condition as photos clearly show. Court mounted for display with copies of service papers, medal roll and census.

His entire medal entitlement is the British War Medal and the R.N. L.S. & G.C. Medal.

Stoker Petty Officer Walter Blatchford was born on 16/1/1863, at Plymouth, Devon. A boilermaker by trade, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Waiter and Officers Servant on 15/2/1881. He served on a variety of R.N. ship and shore bases including: Royal Adelaide, (becoming a stoker 2/3/1884), Indus, Achilles, Bellerophon, Black Prince, Vivid II, Nile, Leander, Intrepid finishing on Vivid II (accounting base) and being discharged to shore pension as a Chief Stoker 1st Class on 4/3/1901. He immediately joined the Royal Fleet Reserve on 5/3/1901.

The 1911 census records him living in Plymouth as a Leading Stoker pensioner working as a labourer in the barracks. He was recalled for WW1 service being mobilised on 2/8/1914 as a Stoker Petty Officer being posted to Vivid II and Vivid III, he was demobilised 19/6/1922.