Description

Offered is a service worn set of WW1 medals to Able Seaman E. C. Bloomfield, Royal Navy, who was an early member of the ‘Silent Service’ and who served aboard the submarine M1, leaving her just a year before she sank with loss of 69 hands in the Channel, when she struck the Swedish Vidar in November 1925

1914 – 15 Star, impressed named J.34862 E.G.BLOOMFIELD. BOY.1. R.N.; British War and Victory Medals (1914 -18), impressed named J.34862 E.C. BLOOMFIELD. A.B. R.N. Court mounted for display, polished, as worn, note the incorrect initial on the star. Comes with copy service papers and medal roll.

Ernest Christian Bloomfield was born on 14/4/1898 at Woking, Surrey. He was working as a milk boy when he joining the Royal Navy on 24/2/1915 as a Boy 2^nd Class. He initially served on H.M.S. Powerful (training ship) followed by H.M.S. Minerva (cruiser)from 18/6/1915 -31/12/1917. The Minerva supported the landing at Cape Helles in April and at Suvla Bay in August, it was deployed to the China Station in 1916 and then to the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in 1917. He served on the following H.M.S ships: Viking (destroyer), Achilles (training ship), Malaya (battleship), Dolphin (submarine training) & Submarine M1 9/2/1922 – 15/11/1924.

The M1 submarine was originally intended as “submarine monitor”, but its purpose had been changed before detailed design began. M1 was fitted with a 12-inch gun which was intended for use against surface ships in preference to torpedoes. It was normally fired using a simple bead sight at periscope depth with only the barrel above the waterline. Despite this novel fitting, it resulted in damage to the muzzle when it was fired in 1923, as a result of water leaking into the barrel. Further served on the Cyclops and Pembroke II (shore base). He purchased his discharge 15/11/1924 and was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve.

Bloomfield purchased his discharge at cost of £24 on 15 November 1924, joining the Royal Fleet Reserve. The 1939 census records him living at 4 Eastoke Haven, Caravan Site, South Hayling with his occupation recorded as Incapacitated, invalided from the Royal Navy F.R. He died in 1980.

On the 12th November 1925, the M-1 sank with loss of 69 hands in the Channel, when she struck the Swedish Vidar. A diving team led by Innes McCartney discovered her wreck in 1999 at a depth of 73 metres. Later that year, Richard Larn and a BBC TV documentary crew visited the wreck, and the resulting film was broadcast in March 2000. The discovery of the wreck showed the collision tore the gun from the hull and water flooded the interior through the open loading hole. Bloomfield’s comrades appear to have tried to escape by flooding the interior and opening the escape hatch, but their bodies were never found.