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Auction: 21001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 507

A very fine trio awarded to a Naval Officer Commander S. P. B. Russell, Royal Navy, who earned a Turkish Liyakat Medal with crossed-swords clasp as well as serving in China, the Great War and the post war Operations in the Baltic.

China 1900 (Midsn. S. P. B. Russell. R. N. H. M. S. Centurion.); British War 1914-20 (Commr S. P. E. Russell. R. N.); Turkish, Liyakat Medal, with crossed sword bar, mounted in frame, contact marks on first and second, very fine (3)

Somerville Peregrine Brownlow Russell was born on 10 July 1883 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire where his father served as Chief Constable of West Riding. He was appointed to the rank of Midshipman in 1899 at the age of sixteen aboard HMS Britannia. He later served in China aboard the ships HMS Centurion and HMS Glory.

While he was aboard the Centurion Russell fought in the the Boxer Rebellion, which would have him taking part in both Admiral Seymour's expedition and the later Gaselee expedition. Strangely the same year Russell transferred from the Centurion to the Glory the two ships were involved in an incident. When a storm struck the fleet at anchor in Woosung the Centurion slipped her anchor and struck the Glory causing the drifting ship to be holed beneath the waterline. Fortunately for Russell he had transferred again several months before and was not aboard.

He continued to serve with the navy aboard a number of vessels, being promoted to Sub-Lieutenant on 15 October 1902 and Lieutenant on 1 April 1905. On 9 October 1907 he received private permission to wear the Turkish Liyakat Medal. Something he may have acquired while serving with HMS Formidable in the Mediterranean. Russell was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April 1913 and was appointed to command HMS Teal on the Yangtse River.

At the start of the First World War Russell was granted command of the destroyer HMS Otter. Over the course of the war he was to serve upon a number of other vessels including the Vinegar and the Wakeful. Despite his duties he was able to marry Eileen Frances Kelly on 7 March 1917 in Wakefield. Nine months later Russell was promoted to the rank of Commander. After the war on 24 April 1919 he took command of HMS Venomous and brought her to the Baltic Sea. Here he was part of actions intended to support the Baltic States from the rising Communist Russians and the army of German General Von de Goltz.

This was a particularly difficult posting, not just due to the severe weather and crews tired after four years of war but because of the complex politics on present. The British were ordered to provide naval support and to treat any Bolshevik vessels in the Baltic as hostile. However they also needed to avoid landing troops or getting involved in the internal politics of the states they were trying to aid. To add to this were conditions in the Baltic at the time:

"These three months in the Baltic had been one hard slog, frequently in awful conditions and with the ever-present danger of mines, Bolshevik warships and Submarines"

(A Hard-Fought Ship, refers)

The Venomous returned to Chatham docks on 28 December 1919. Russell continued to command the vessel between the wars until 14 July 1921 when he was transferred from the to command the Hercla, a reserve depot ship. This position was likely intended to help him prepare to retire, which he did 1 January 1923. He was promised that he would be promoted to Captain on the retired list by the age of 45 which he duly was. Moreover he was appointed a Freeman of the City of London after what appears to have been a successful career in business.

Sadly his son, Edward Peregrine Stuart Russell RNVR, died 9 May 1942. He drowned while attempting to save a shipmate from HMS Eskimo. For this act Edward was later awarded the Albert Medal.

Captain Russell died of a perforated ulcer at home in Camberley Surrey in 1946; sold together with a research file containing extracts from naval histories, medal rolls and service records.

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Sold for
£350

Starting price
£320