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Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 159

Five: Petty Officer C. F. Davis, Royal Navy

China 1900, 1 clasp, Taku Forts (C. F. Davis, Ord., H.M.S. Barfleur); 1914-15 Star (188400 C. F. Davis, L.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (188400 C. F. Davis, P.O., R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (188400 (Ch. B. 6830) C. F. Davis, P.O., R.F.R.), generally very fine (5)

Just 23 single 'Taku Forts' clasps to H.M.S. Barfleur.

Charles Frederick Davis was born in Hounslow, Middlesex in August 1880 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in April 1896. Joining H.M.S. Barfleur as an Ordinary Seaman in October 1898, he gained advancement to Able Seaman in July 1900 and was present at the capture of the Taku Forts (Medal & clasp).

Having then come ashore and enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve as a Leading Seaman in August 1910, he was recalled on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 and joined the battleship Formidable. It proved to be a short-lived appointment: Formidable was torpedoed off Portland on 1 January 1915 and sank with a loss of nearly 500 officers and ratings.

Lucky indeed to have survived that ordeal, Davis's subsequent seagoing appointments included the cruiser Crescent (January-November 1915); the battleship Swiftsure (May 1916-April 1917), and the armed boarding steamer Rowan (August 1918-February 1919). He was invalided ashore in June of the latter year; sold with copied service record.



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Sold for
£650