Naval Good Shooting Medal, EDVII, WWI

[Rusty Greaves]

 

 

I have not found a thread focused on the WWI Naval Good Shooting Medal, but wanted to provide information from a current Liverpool Medals catalog about this uncommon award. This is another medal I am unfamiliar with, but can provide the description in the Liverpool Medals listing (https://www.liverpoolmedals.com/product/naval-good-shooting-medal-edvii-3?mc_cid=a4f154f49d&mc_eid=eb61970ca6; SKU J9096) that reads: 

 

 

"Description

Naval Good Shooting Medal, EDVII, Benjamin North, HMS Majestic 1903, an experienced Gunner who was Seaman Gunner of AMC HMS Patia surviving her sinking in 1918. 

 

Officially impressed: “162998 B. North, A.B. H.M.S. Majestic 1903 3. PR. Q.F.”

 

Benjamin North was born on 9th February 1876 in Northam, Southampton.

 

He first joined the Royal Navy as a young Boy 2nd Class aged 15 on 18th September 1891 his profession already noted as “Seaman”.

 

He rose to Boy 1st Class on HMS Boscawen on 17th Nov 1892.

 

Served as a Boy on HMS Achilles, Australia and the Hawke, with whom he turned 18 whilst on board becoming an Ordinary Seaman on 9th February 1894.

 

He became an Able Seaman whilst on HMS Royal Sovereign on 1st September 1896.

 

Benjamin would then serve on board HMS Majestic from 30th May 1902 until 1st February 1904.

 

During this period he would earn this Naval Good Shooting Medal for his proficiency with the 3 Pounder Quick Firing Gun.

 

 

After having done his 12 years following turning 18, he was discharged to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 1st April 1905.

After 5 years in the RFR he re-enrolled for another 5 years on 1st April 1910.

 

When World War 1 broke out, he was amongst those brought back to the Royal Navy on 2nd August 1914 joining HMS Crescent, whilst the ship was Flagship of the 10th Cruiser Squadron.

 

He would then see the majority of his war service on the Armoured Merchant Cruiser HMS Patia from 21st December 1914 until the day that the Patia was sunk in the Bristol Channel by the German U-Boat Submarine UC-49 on 13th June 1918, being signed off the ship on 30th June 1918.

 

The Patia was an Armoured Merchant Cruisers being a civilian Commercial Liner ship that had been fitted with weapons to defend it self, being given 6 6-Inch Guns and 2 3-Pounders on H.A. (High Angle) Mountings.

Benjamin, conveniently being a recipient of the Good Shooting Medal was recorded as an “Acting Seaman Gunner” on the ship, one of the men on the guns.

 

The Western Front Association provided the following details on the ship:

 

“At 1pm on 13 June 1918, HMS Patia, an armed merchant cruiser serving with the 10th Cruiser Squadron, was torpedoed by German submarine UC-49 in the Bristol Channel. Built at Belfast in 1913, the Patia, a converted cargo ship, spent the war as part of the Northern Patrol, enforcing the maritime blockade enemy and merchant ships and merchant ships in the seas between Greenland and Scotland. 

 

According to one account, the Patia was carrying cordite and the ensuing explosion and fire killed a number of men immediately. She also carried depth bombs. These had not been set to safety and when the ship sunk to a depth of 75 feet below surface, they began to explode, throwing up geysers of water and placing the lives of the 300 men awaiting rescue in the water in further jeopardy. The destroyer USS Wilkes, under Commander A. S. Hickey, reportedly rescued over 150 men.”

 

16 Men were lost on the ship, 1 Officer and 15 men being presumed drowned or killed in the sinking.

 

After that he would finish out his service at HMS Victory I, HMS Vernon, Victory X and then Victory I being shore demobilised on 3rd February 1919.

 

Following his service in the Royal Navy, he would return to the sea as a member of the Merchant Navy during 1920 and 1921.

 

He served on ship 144399 from 12th November 1920 HMS Ormuz/Zeppelin

Then ship 136828 from September 1921, HMS Lutzow/Huntsend

 

Later in life he is shown on the 1939 Census living back in Southampton with his wife Alice, he is recorded as a “Ships Rigger”

 

He died in Southampton during 1955 aged about 79."

[Bill Brouillard Jr.]

This would be a great addition to anyones's UK Medal Collection!!

 

Bill