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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 319

Five: Warrant Recruiter J. R. Anders, Royal Marines, late Royal Marine Artillery

1914-15 Star (R.M.A. 13873 Gr. J. R. Anders); British War and Victory Medals (R.M.A. 13873 Gr. J. R. Anders); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, somewhat polished, otherwise generally very fine (5)


John Richard Anders was born at Ravenhead, St. Helen's on 22 April 1896 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery as a Gunner in January 1914.

In November 1914, he joined the troop transport - ex-White Star liner - Laurentic, in which capacity he remained employed until February 1915, latterly in her new guise as an armed merchant cruiser off the Cameroons.

In March 1915, he removed to the battleship King Edward VII and he remained likewise employed until her loss on 6 January 1916. On that date, at 1047 hours, she struck a mine that had been laid by the German auxiliary cruiser S.M.S. Möwe off Cape Wrath.

The explosion occurred under the starboard engine room, and King Edward VII listed 8° to starboard. Her commanding officer - Captain MacLachlan - ordered her helm put over to starboard to close the coast and beach the ship if necessary, but the helm jammed hard to starboard and the engine rooms quickly flooded, stopping the engines. Counterflooding reduced her list to 5°.

Signals to the passing collier Princess Melita induced her to close with King Edward VII and attempt to tow the battleship; soon, flotilla leader Kempfenfelt also arrived and joined the tow attempt. Towing began at 1415, but King Edward VII settled deeper in the water and took on a 15° list in a rising sea and strong winds and proved unmanageable. Princess Melita's towline parted at 1440, after which Captain Maclachlan ordered Kempfenfelt to slip her tow as well.

With flooding continuing and darkness approaching, Captain MacLachlan ordered King Edward VII abandoned. The destroyer Musketeer came alongside at 1445, and she and consorts, Fortune and Marne, took off the crew with the loss of only one life (a man fell between the battleship and one of the rescue vessels), the last man off being Captain MacLachlan, who boarded destroyer Nessus at 1610. Fortune, Marne and the Musketeer departed to take the battleship's crew to port, while Nessus stayed on the scene until 1720 with tugs that had arrived to assist. After Nessus departed, the tugs continued to stand by, and saw King Edward VII capsize at 2010 and sink around nine hours after the explosion.

Anders's final wartime appointment was aboard the battleship Royal Oak (May 1916-January 1919), in which capacity he was present at the Battle of Jutland. On that memorable occasion, the Royal Oak expended 38 rounds from her main armament and 84 from her secondary guns; her gunnery proved effective, for she obtained hits on the S.M.S. Wiesbaden and S.M.S. Seydlitz.

In the period immediately following the Great War, he transferred to the Portsmouth Division, and by the time of the termination of his engagement in April 1935, he had risen to Colour-Sergeant. He was quickly re-employed as a Pensioner Recruiter and served in this capacity until July 1942, when he was advanced to Warrant Recruiter; sold with copied service record.


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Sold for
£75