Description

Group of four medals to Chief Petty Officer W. H. Howard, Royal Navy, who served aboard the royal yacht HMS Ophir, for the royal tour to Australia in 1901, as well as being aboard H.M.S. Canterbury at the Battle of Jutland

1914 – 15 Star, impressed named 182914. W.H. HOWARD. P.O.R.N.; British War and Victory Medals (1914 – 18) impressed named 182914 W.H. HOWARD. ACT. C.P.O. R.N.; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (G.V.) impressed named 182914 W.H. HOWARD. P.O. H.M.S. THEMES. Court mounted for display and comes with copies of service papers, medal roll and 1939 census.

Chief Petty Officer Walter Herbert Howard was born on the 8/4/1879 at Ramsgate, Kent. A grocer’s assistant by trade, he enlisted as a Boy 2^nd Class into the Royal Navy 14/11/1897. Pre war he served on a variety of H.M. ship and shore bases including: Impregnable, Caledonia, Boscawen, Sans Pariel, Champion, Pembroke, Empress of India.

H.M.S Ophir (Orient Steam Navigation Company ship). In 1901 she served as the royal yacht HMS Ophir. 27/2/1901 – 6/11/1901. She took the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) on their tour of the British Empire. The visit was scheduled to open the new Federal Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, but the royal party also visited Gibraltar, Malta, Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and Colony of Newfoundland. The Admiralty provided crew for the tour, while the engine-room staff came from the Orient Company´s own engineers.

Wildfire, Vernon (R.N. torpedo school), Diadem, Albion, Thames, Bonaventure.

WW1 service included St George (Depot ship) for the Foyle (Destroyer) 1/8/1914 – 8/10/1915.  Pembroke 1 9/10/1915 – 1/5/1916. Canterbury (C-class light cruiser) 2/5/16 – 8/5/1917, she was present at the Battle of Jutland. Pembroke 9/5/1917 – 25/6/1917. Holderness (Hunt class mine sweeper) 26/6/1917 – 22/5/1919 and pensioned to shore.

The 1939 census records him as living in Lewisham working as “Watchman, Customs and Excise’ C.P.O. Royal Navy pensioner.