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Auction: 21103 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction 4
Lot: 255

Four: Able Seaman G. Huggins, Royal Navy, a reservist veteran who survived the sinking of the Hogue in the famous Action of 22 September 1914 when Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen's U-9 sank the Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue in little less than an hour

1914-15 Star (174050 G. Huggins, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (174050 G. Huggins. A.B. R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (174050 Ch. B. 4045. G. Huggins. A. B. R.F.R.), very fine (4)

George Huggins was born at Mile End, London on 27 February 1878. Enlisting with the rank of Boy Class II on 17 August 1893, he was stationed at the Boy’s Training Facility Boscawen, being promoted Boy Class I on 16 August 1894. Promoted again on 27 February 1896 while serving aboard H.M.S. Cruizer to the rank of Ordinary Seaman. By June he was serving aboard H.M.S. Ramillies it was here that he received his final promotion to Able Seaman on 1 December 1896. Released to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 2 June 1906 Huggins returned to duty during the Great War he served aboard the armoured cruiser H.M.S. Hogue. This vessel played a reservist role in the Battle of Heligoland Bight towing H.M.S. Arethusa back to port after the fighting. However on 22 September 1914 it was one of the three warships to suffer the attentions of U-9 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen. The Hogue was the second of the cruisers to be hit by a Torpedo, shortly followed by a second and she capsized within ten minutes and sank within twenty. Notably Hogue was possibly the only vessel to have fired on its attacker as the loss of weight caused by firing two torpedoes in quick succession caused U9 to briefly surface. She lost nearly 400 of her compliment in the disaster which claimed over 1400 of the Squadron's, largely reservist, crews. Fortunately Huggins was not amongst them although his good fortune was dwarfed by that of Wenman Wykeham-Musgrave who was aboard all three ships when they sank, being rescued only to sink again and again. Weddigen was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Classes, latterly adding a Pour le Merite for the sinking of the Hawke. He was killed in action on 22 March 1915, when his new charge U-29, was rammed and sliced in half by the Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth.

Huggins meanwhile, having been picked up, was posted to the shore establishment Wildfire until 7 September 1915 when he was sent to H.M.S. Mars until till 8 March 1916 before transferring to H.M.S. Tyne and serving there from 27 August 1916-2 March 1917. He was invalided from service on 18 April 1917.

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Sold for
£150

Starting price
£80