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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 516

A 1948 B.E.M. group of eight awarded to Leading Seaman R. E. Jones, Royal Navy, who served at the Battle of the Falkland Islands and the Battle of Jutland, who suffered severe damage to his hands in 1917, latterly becoming Hall Porter at the Admiralty Research Laboratory and National Physical Laboratory

British Empire Medal, G.VI.R. Civil Division (Reginald E. Jones), officially impressed naming upon a pre-prepared ground, with its card box of issue; 1914-15 Star (J.14499 R. H. Jones. A.B. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.14499 R. H. Jones. L.S. R.N.); Defence Medal 1939-45; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R. (Reginald Eric Jones), with its case of issue; Fire Brigade Long Service, bronze, with 'Five Years' and 'Ten Years' clasps (10593 Reginald E. Jones); Fire Brigade Long Service, silver, with 'Twenty Years' clasp (6027 Reginald E. Jones), with its card box of issue, with award document, note middle initial on the Trio, very fine and better (8)

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 January 1948:

'Resident Porter National Physical Laboratory'

I.S.M. London Gazette 30 September 1960.

Reginald Eric Jones was born on 12 June 1895 at Mortlake, London. He had been a Boy Scout when he enlisted in the Royal Navy on 16 October 1911, being advanced Ordinary Seaman in June 1913. Jones served on Invincible at the Battle of the Falkland Islands and was aboard Malaya at the Battle of Jutland. On that famous day she was hit eight times and took major damage and suffered heavy crew casualties. A total of 65 men were killed. Among the wounded was Able Seaman Willie Vicarage, notable as one of the first men to receive facial reconstruction using plastic surgery and the first to receive radical reconstruction via the 'tubed pedicule' technique pioneered by Sir Harold Gillies. Uniquely among the ships at the battle, Malaya flew the red-white-black-yellow ensign of the Federated Malay States.

Jones was awarded a Hurt Certificate for damage to fingers of right hands when a hatch landed on them whilst moving the heavy cover of an armoured hatchway on 'Y' Turret of the Malaya on 25 March 1917. The first two fingers had the 'soft parts reduced to a pulp, and the nails torn off'. The middle finger was worse however 'the fleshy tips being completely detached' - as evidenced by the original X-Rays, which accompany the Lot.

He remained in the service and was demobilised in July 1921. At some stage after discharge became Hall Porter at Admiralty Research Laboratory, Teddington. He left this post in 1930. During this time he served with Volunteer Fire Brigade of the National Physical Laboratory, this included a testimonial concerning his service at a fire on 15 June 1930.

Sold together with a good archive of original items including:

(i)
His Certificate of Service and Gunnery & Torpedo History Sheet.

(ii)
Certificate for Wounds and Hurts, together with the X-Rays previously mentioned.

(iii)
A number of other original items related to his Great War Service, including cap tally.

(iv)
A selection of items related to his time at the Admiralty Research Laboratory and with the Fire Brigade.


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Sold for
£380

Starting price
£220