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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 282

Five: Chaplain G. H. Harcourt, Royal Navy, Ship's Chaplain aboard H.M.S. Duke of Edinburgh during the Battle of Jutland where, almost miraculously, she was the only vessel of her Squadron to survive that famous action

1914-15 Star (Chapn. G. H. Harcourt. M.A.R.N,.); British War and Victory Medals (Chapn G. H. Harcourt. R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (5)

Guy Hanmer Harcourt was born on 3 June 1884 and attended Jesus College, Cambridge, being made a Deacon by 1907. Harcourt was sent to the Church of All Saints at Notting Hill, London becoming a priest while there the next year. He was to work there until 1914 when on 12 February he joined the Royal Navy, becoming a Ship's Chaplain.

Posted to the armoured cruiser Duke of Edinburgh on 3 March 1914, he was aboard her as part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron when she steamed with Jellicoe's fleet to participate in the Battle of Jutland.

As part of Jellicoe's section of the Grand Fleet Duke of Edinburgh arrived upon the withdrawing British battlecruisers and moved to deploy with them accordingly. However as the fleet prepared to engage, the commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, Captain Sir Robert Arbuthnot spotted the Light Cruisers of the German 2nd Scout Group and moved to engage them.

This move backfired catastrophically with the Duke of Edinburgh and Black Prince blocked in by the manoeuvring of the Grand Fleet and Defence and Warrior isolated. Heavy fire from the German battlecruisers soon took its toll and the Defence exploded with the loss of all hands: Warrior managed to escape but took such a beating in the process that she sank the next day. As the battle progressed and night fell the Duke of Edinburgh's final consort Black Prince lost her way. In a state of confusion she blundered into the path of the High Seas Fleet and was sunk by the massed weight of German fire, leaving the Duke of Edinburgh as the sole survivor of 1st Cruiser Squadron.

Harcourt continued to serve, joining another survivor of Jutland, H.M.S. Barham, on 13 June 1916. Remaining with this ship for the rest of the war he transferred ashore to H.M.S. Raleigh, seeing further service with Queen Elizabeth, Valiant and Warspite.

Entering the retired list in July 1934 Harcourt went on to work as a Public Preacher with the Diocese of Exeter that same year, living at St. Thomas' Vicarage, Plymouth. Remaining there until the outbreak of the Second World War when he was recalled for service with H.M.S. Raleigh. Retiring again as Rector of Stoke-in-Teinghead, Torquay before again returning to Exeter. He died at Southlands Hotel, Torquay, Devon in 1958; sold together with an extract from Crockford's Clerical Directory 1949-50, service papers and written research.

For the medals of a comrade aboard Duke of Edinburgh, Petty Officer Barkwell, see Lot 259.

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Sold for
£230

Starting price
£230