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Auction: 24113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 450

Five: Ship's Corporal 1st Class F. C. Drakeley, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (184675. F. C. Drakeley. M.A.A., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (184675 F. C. Drakeley. M.A.A. R.N.); Defence Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (184675 F. C. Drakeley, Sh. Corpl.1.Cl., H.M.S. Conqueror.), light contact marks, very fine (5)

Frederick Charles Drakeley was born at Caldecote, Rutland on 2 August 1880 and was a schoolboy when he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 12 August 1898. He spent the entire war on Conqueror.

Conqueror, under the command of Captain Hugh Tothill, on 31 May was the seventh ship from the head of the battle line after deployment. The ship may have had engine problems during the battle because she was having trouble maintaining 20 knots; a signal from Jellicoe at 17:17 instructed Thunderer to overtake Conqueror if she could not maintain speed.

During the first stage of the general engagement, the ship fired three salvos from her main guns at one battleship at 18:31 without visible effect. She then shifted her fire to the crippled light cruiser S.M.S. Wiesbaden, although the number of hits made, if any, is unknown. At 19:12, Conqueror fired her main guns at enemy destroyers without result and then again, at different destroyers at 19:25 with her aft turrets. This was the last time that the ship fired her guns during the battle, having expended a total of 57 twelve-inch shells.

Drakeley was discharged to shore on 3 September 1920 and paid a war gratuity; sold together with copied service papers.

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Sold for
£120

Starting price
£70