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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 109

'Brilliantly lit by half-a-dozen searchlights, the Black Prince was raked from stern to stem by a tornado of shells and lay a helpless wreck before she could even fire a shot in reply. As she drifted down the German line, ship after ship opened up on her, Thuringen, Ostfriesland, Nassau and, finally, as the fleet flagship Friedrich der Grosse, added her quota, the Black Prince met the same end as the Defence, blowing up with a tremendous explosion, vanishing with all hands'

The catastrophic end of the cruiser Black Prince brought to life in Jutland by Captain Donald MacIntyre

The tragic H.M.S. Black Prince casualty group of three awarded to Able Seaman, W. Abbott, Royal Navy, who met his end under the guns of the High Seas Fleet during the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916

1914-15 Star (224704, W. Abbott, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (22470., W. Abbott. A.B. R.N.), good very fine (3)

William Abbot was born at Bridport, Dorset on 8 October 1886 and worked as a Wine Shed Boy prior to enlisting on 23 February 1903. Posted to the training ship Boscowen with the rank of Boy Class II he remained here until reaching his majority on 8 October 1904 when he was appointed Ordinary Seaman. Abbott saw his first service afloat with the Battleship Prince George from 3 January 1905, seeing further service with such vessels as Dryiad and Achilles.

On the outbreak of the Great War he was stationed with the armoured cruiser Black Prince<. Part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean at the time she was part of the force which pursued the German warships Goeben and Breslau to Constantinople. After a tour of duty in the Red Sea she was posted to the Grand Fleet, still with the 1st Cruiser Squadron under Rear-Admiral Arbuthnot.

Deployed as part of the advanced screen in front of Jellicoe's Grand Fleet Black Prince was engaged at the Battle of Jutland. The Squadron made an ill-timed rush through the lines of the Battlecruiser Fleet which resulted in Black Prince and Duke of Edinburgh being separated from the rest of the Squadron.

Black Prince spent much of the rest of the action attempting to find her consorts - unknown to her commander both vessels ahead of him had been shot to pieces. Approaching a line of what they thought to be friendly warships, Black Prince was suddenly caught in a web of searchlights. She was directly in front of the German fleet and under the guns of the battleship Thuringen which opened up a devastating fire. Despite attempting to turn away and launch torpedoes she was swiftly disabled, with the heavy fire sweeping her structure. Floating without power ship after ship came within range and opened fire until finally the flagship Friedrich der Grosse opened up on her. At that point Black Prince exploded with the loss of all hands, so complete was her destruction that it was some years before British sources learned of the tragedy. Abbott is commemorated upon the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; sold together with a copied service record.

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Sold for
£500

Starting price
£130