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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 115

(x) A scarce Great War Al Valore Militare group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer C. Smith, Royal Navy, who was commended for his services in Inflexible at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, in addition to being commended for like services at the Battle of Jutland

1914-15 Star (192159 C. Smith, C.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (192159 C. Smith, C.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (192159 Charles Smith, Actg. C.P.O., H.M.S. Inflexible); Italy, Al Valore Militare, bronze, unnamed as issued, very fine (5)

Italian Al Valore Militare London Gazette 17 November 1917.

Charles Smith was born in Leatherhead, Surrey on 13 March 1881 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in October 1899. Having gained rapid promotion in the interim, and been awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal, he was serving as a Chief Petty Officer in the battle cruiser H.M.S. Inflexible on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 and remained likewise employed until November 1916.

In the Battle of the Falkland Islands on 8 December 1914, Inflexible and her consort Invincible closed the range to 4,000 yards and sank the German armoured cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Around 170 were rescued from the from the former ship, but there were no survivors from the latter. Smith's service record was duly endorsed as 'noted' for his services on the same occasion. Nor did he have to wait long to see further action, for Inflexible was ordered to the Dardanelles, where she was seriously damaged by a mine and Turkish gunfire on 18 March 1915.

At Jutland, Inflexible raced ahead with the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron, engaging enemy light cruisers and damaging two of them, followed by two run-ins with the enemy's battle cruisers. She fired 88 shells and, with two of her consorts, was credited with eight hits on the German flagship Lutzow, in addition to several hits on other ships; Lutzow was so badly damaged that the Germans were forced to scuttle her. Smith's service record was endorsed with a commendation for his services on the same occasion and he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 15 September 1916, refers).

He remained employed ashore for the remainder of the war, his award of the Italian Al Valore Militare likely reflecting his services at Jutland. And he witnessed further action in the battleship Ajax in operations against the Bolsheviks in the period February-July 1920, when she assisted at the evacuation of Odessa and bombarded enemy positions near Sochi (more recently the scene of the Winter Olympic Games). He finally came ashore in April 1921; sold with copied research.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£240