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Auction: 21102 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction 3
Lot: 92

British War Medal 1914-20 (211450 W. Johnson. A.B. R.N.), unofficially renamed, claw re-affixed, nearly very fine

William Johnson served aboard HMS Raglan in January 1918. The Raglan was positioned in Kusa Bay, off the Island of Imbros on 20 January when she was spotted by the Turkish warships Yavûz Sultân Selîm and Midilli. These had begun the war as the German ships Goeben and Breslau respectively and which had taken refuge in Istanbul from the British presence in the Mediterranean. They remained here throughout the war until in early January it was decided to launch a raid on British shipping near the Dardanelles. The first vessels they encountered were the monitors Raglan and M28.

Warned of the approaching danger by the searchlights of the British Destroyers Lizard and Tigress the monitors tried to make a fight of it. They were, however, hopelessly outgunned and in a poor position; at 07:30 the Midilli opened up upon the Raglan. The fourth salvo killed the Gunnery Lieutenant and not long afterwards the Director Layer causing the Raglan to fire blind. Nevertheless she remained in the fight until the turret guns were both knocked out. When the battlecruiser Yavûz Sultân Selîm entered the fight the Raglan was living on borrowed time - soon a shell struck the monitor's store of 12-pound shells and the resulting explosion sank her. Amongst the 127 men killed was Johnson, who is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

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Sold for
£15

Starting price
£10