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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 301

Pair: Regulating Petty Officer H. W. Cornish, Royal Navy

Africa General Service Medal 1902-1956, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (H. W. Cornish, Ord. H.M.S. Hyacinth.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (222101. H. W. Cornish, Sh. Cpl. 1. Cl. H.M.S. Victory.), contact marks and polished, thus good fine (2)

Harold William Cornish was born in Lancaster on 17 October 1885, the son of William Henry and Isabella. An ironmonger's assistant, he entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in 1902 and quickly saw active service off Somaliland in H.M.S. Hyacinth. Advanced to Leading Seaman in 1912, he was back in the Hyacinth on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and remained similarly employed until removing to the Challenger in July 1915. Once more returning to Hyacinth in the period September 1915 to February 1916, he came ashore to appointments at Victory I and Excellent during the remainder of the Great War.

He was appointed a Ship's Corporal in 1916 and Regulating Petty Officer whilst serving in H.M.S. Vindictive in the Baltic Sea in 1919. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in October 1918, the same year that he married Lily Caine, he was pensioned ashore in 1923.

Mobilised in September 1938, he was demobilised three days later; he died in 1945, his death being recorded in the Lancaster Guardian: 'Cornish, Harold William. Regulator Petty Officer, R.N., dead on arrival at Euston by train, aged c60.'

Sold with an original portrait photograph by W. V. Amey, Portsmouth, showing the recipient in naval uniform with his Africa General Service Medal riband.


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Sold for
£160