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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 455

Four: Able Seaman R. Marsden, Royal Fleet Reserve, late Royal Navy who served with Princess Margret through the Great War and Allied Intervention in the Baltic

1914-15 Star (SS.1215, R. Marsden, A.B. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (SS.1215 R. Marden. A.B. R.N.); Royal Fleet Reverse L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (SS. 1215 (PO. B. 3951) R. Marsden. A.B. R.F.R.), mounted as worn, minor pitting overall very fine (4)

Richard Marsden was born at Sheffield, Yorkshire on 22 March 1887 and worked as a Knife Grinder prior to enlisting on 4 January 1906 as Ordinary Seaman. His postings included Revenge, Venus and Hindustan before joining the Royal Fleet Reserve on 4 January 1911. Called up for service upon the outbreak of the Great War Marsden was posted first to the armoured cruiser King Arthur from 2 August 1914-7 October 1914.

After a period ashore Marsden was posted to the minelayer Princess Magret, by this stage listed as the flagship of the minelaying station. She took part in Operation XX, a failed attempt to force the German High Seas Fleet to sally from port. Over the course of the war her mines took a heavy toll however sinking a number of German warships including M47, SS Turin and UB-61. At the end of the conflict she had laid 25,242 mines, more than any other British minelayer.

Marsden remained with Princess Magret after the end of the war when she was directed to the as part of the first Royal Naval intervention in the Estonian and Latvian Wars of Independence. She landed 5,000 rifles for the Estonian Army at Reval and then went on to Riga. Here the Red Army was advancing on the city and Princess Magret took aboard several refugees before its fall. She returned to Britian in January 1919 and Marsden left her on 31 March 1919, being formally demobilised then and issued his R.F.R. L.S. & G.C. on 23 April 1922; sold together with a copied medal roll and service papers.

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Sold for
£90

Starting price
£70