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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 447

It was the most gallant fight I have ever seen. She was literally riddled with shell; but clear in the glare of our searchlights, I could see a petty officer and two seamen loading and firing her after gun until she disappeared. We would have liked to have saved her brave survivors, but you can well understand we could not stop in the middle of a night battle.'

(The admiration expressed by an officer of the German Battleship Oldenburg on the last stand of H.M.S. Fortune on 1 June 1916)

A 'Battle of Jutland 1916' casualty's group of three to Stoker Class I A. E. Roberts, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (K.2444, A. E. Roberts, Sto.1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (K.2444 A. E. Roberts. Sto. 1 R.N.), good very fine (3)

Albert Edward Roberts was born at Islington, London on 21 October 1890 and joined the Royal Navy as Stoker Class II on 31 March 1909. He saw service on a number of vessels before the war including Jupiter, Hecla and Illustrious, being advanced Stoker Class I with the latter on 21 May 1910.

Roberts was stationed at the Torpedo School H.M.S. Vernon on the outbreak of the Great War and was soon posted to the K-class destroyer Fortune on 16 November 1914. This vessel was part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla at this time, part of the Great Fleet. Her service was relatively uneventful prior to the Battle of Jutland.

Going into action with Beatty's Grand Fleet later in the Battle Fortune was on the disengaged side of the line. As night fell the British lost contact with the Germans and spent much of the night and early morning attempting to rengage. At around 23:15 the British destroyers engaged a force of light cruisers back up by Battleships, suffering heavy losses in the process.

They continued to hunt for the German warships until Fortune and Ardent, now alone, encountered them. The Oldenburg caught Fortune in floodlights, exposing her to fire from four German Battleships. She was immediately hammered with heavy fire but notably also returned it at a prodigious rate letting off seven 5.9 inch shells and eight 3.5 inch shells in just 28 seconds. The uneven fight was a forgone conclusion however and Fortune sank beneath the weight of German fire, her crew manning the guns to the last. Only seven men survived with two of them being wounded, the remaining 67 were killed. Roberts was amongst the dead although it seems his body was found as he is buried at Dalmeny and South Queensferry Cemetery; sold together with copied service records and a Commonwealth War Graves certificate.

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Sold for
£380

Starting price
£210