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Auction: 19003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 94

Victory Medal 1914-19 (J.35013 E. Chaytor. A.B. R.N.), nearly very fine

Ernest Chaytor was born on 28 September 1898 at Sunderland and was a labourer upon his enlistment in the Royal Navy in January 1913. Chaytor served aboard Agincourt during the Battle of Jutland from 31 May-1 June 1916, under the command of Captain H. M. Doughty. The longest battleship in the world, she had the largest number of guns afloat, including the heaviest secondary armament, namely 20 6-inch and 10 3-inch guns to add to her seven twin-12-inch turrets - no surprise then that certain critics argued that she would never withstand the force of firing a full broadside. But at Jutland it was proved otherwise, sometimes to the consternation of the ship’s company: one gunnery officer, inside a turret, believing the ship had taken a serious hit when he heard a ‘violent explosion’ - he need not have worried as it was merely her starboard 6-inch gun battery (10 guns) going into action. Her gunnery was responsible for causing the enemy equal consternation, her mighty salvoes straddling their battleships and cruisers on several occasions, a case in point being the twice-hit Kaiser. Indeed by close of play the Agincourt had fired 144 shells from her 12-inch turrets and and another 111 from her 6-inch guns.

Chaytor remained in the Royal Navy at the rate of Able Seaman until September 1928, when his 16-year service period expired; sold with copied research.

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Sold for
£10

Starting price
£10