WW1 ROYAL NAVY MEDAL GROUP TO CHIEF STOKER KING FROM BRIGHTON PERSIAN GULF 1910

Offered is a group of 6 medals awarded to Chief Stoker King, who served from 1897 – 1919. He served on ships ranging from Pre-war battleships, to a river gunboat & survived a posting to H.M.S. Argonaut, under Captain George H Cherry, who issued some 600 punishment warrants during his time as the ship’s captain.

Naval General Service Medal (1915) King George V with clasp PERSIAN GULF 1909-1914 impressed named 284188. G.T.KING. STO. P.O. H.M.S. PROSERPINE.; 1914-15 Star impressed named 284188. G.T.KING. CH. STO. R.N. British War and victory Medals impressed named 284188. G.T.KING. CH. STO. R.N.; King George V Coronation Medal un named as issued; Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, King George V 1^st version impressed named 284188. G.T.KING. STO. P.O. H.M.S. PROSERPINE. The medals are court mounted for display & come with copied service papers & medal rolls.

George Thomas King was born on the 24/6/1877 in Brighton, Sussex. He enlisted as a stoker on the 18/12/1896 with the Royal Navy at Portsmouth. His civilian occupation was listed as a ‘Bricklayer’

Served: Victory II. HMS Royal Sovereign 8/6/97 – 17/9/97 (Pre-dreadnought battleship). HMS Trafalgar 12/9/1897 – 12/10/97 (Trafalgar class battleship). Victory II 13/10/97 – 30/6/1898. HMS Resolution 1/7/1898 – 9/7/1899 (Royal Sovereign-class pre-dreadnought battleship) HMS Duke of Wellington 10/7/1899 – 20/04/00 (131-gun first-rate ship of the line launched in 1852 - she replaced HMS Victory as flagship of the Port Admiral at Portsmouth from 1869 to 1891). HMS Argonaut 21/4/00 – 16/2/1904 (Diadem-class of protected cruiser). HMS Firequeen 17/2/04 – 26/4/1904 (A special service steam yacht from 1882 of 446 tons with a complement of 43 carried the Flag of the Port Admiral Posrtsmouth). HMS Excellent 27/4/1904 – 31/3/1905 (Potsmouth Gunnery School). HMS Grafton 1/4/1905 – 1/1/1906 (First class cruiser of the Edgar class). HMS King Alfred 2/1/1906 – 12/3/1907 (Drake-class armoured cruisers Flagship of the China Station). HMS Spartiate 13/3/1907 – 15/3/1907 (Stokers training ship). HMS Woodlark 16/3/1907 – 11/4/1908 (Woodcock-class river gunboat assembled at Shanghai that served on the Yangtze River from 1897 to 1928). Victory II. HMS Proserpine 7/6/1910 - 29/8/1912 (Pelorus-class cruiser). Victory II. Vernon. HMS Fisgard 28/4/1913 – 26/6/1913 (Shore establishment). Victory. HMS Iron Duke 10/7/1914 – 15/5/1915 (Dreadnought battleship). Victory II.  HMS Halycon P32 1/4/1916 – 28/11/1916 (Dryad-class torpedo gunboat). Victory II. HMS Topaze 14/3/1918 - 2/3/1919 (Gem class third class cruiser. Red Sea from 1917 until the end of the war). HMS Suffolk 3/4/1919 – 16/7/1919 – Demobilised.

HMS Argonaut 21/4/00 – 16/2/1904: She was commissioned at Chatham in April 1900 for service on the China Station, where she was until 1904. During this time, the Commanding Officer, Captain George H Cherry RN, issued some 600 punishment warrants, gaining a reputation as a stern disciplinarian. As a consequence, the ship's officers ordered medals to be struck by Gamages of London as reward and mementos of their service under such a captain: on the obverse it read "Argonaut China 1900-1904" and showed a foul anchor (for the Royal Navy), a fleece (for Argonaut) and a dragon (for China); on the reverse are a cherry tree and a representation of the officers who survived the commission. An honorary "Cherry Medal" was presented to King George VI; many others were lost with ships sunk in the First World War.

HMS Proserpine: East Indies Station 1904–12 operating against pirates, gun-runners and slavers.