Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Lieutenant-Commander L. B. Cogan, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who served in the Royal Naval Division at Antwerp in 1914 before qualifying as an interpreter in German and gaining a commendation for good services at the battle of Jutland

British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Commr. L. B. Cogan, R.N.V.R.), very fine or better (2) £80-10

Leonard Bampfylde Cogan was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in August 1914 and served in Antwerp with Collingwood Battalion, before being ordered to join President ‘additional for special service, sweeping trade routes’, in November of the same year - the whereabouts of his 1914 Star is unknown. A later notation on his service record, dated in May 1915, states ‘ordered to be discharged from collier in which serving at Cardiff and to report at Admiralty’, while in July he removed to the light cruiser Inconstant.

Having then ‘passed provisionally for Acting Interpreter in German on board H.M.S. Falmouth’, he was present at Jutland, gaining a recommendation from his Commodore for good service during the action (London Gazette 15 September 1916 refers), in addition to being noted for early promotion. Latterly described by his C.O. in Inconstant as ‘excellent in every respect’ and as having had ‘charge of confidential books and papers’, he was invalided ashore on account of ill-health in August 1918 and permitted to retain his acting rank of Lieutenant-Commander on being demobilised in May 1920; sold with copied service record.