Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Able Seaman W. H. Kettlewell, Royal Navy, who was awarded a scarce Naval Good Shooting Medal with Second Award Clasp, and survived the sinking of H.M.S. Contest on 18 September 1917

China 1900, no clasp (W. H. Kettlewell, Ord., H.M.S. Arethusa.); 1914-15 Star (196028, W. H. Kettlewell, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (196028 W. H. Kettlewell. A.B. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (196028 W. H. Kettlewell, A.B., H.M.S. St George.); Naval Good Shooting Medal, G.V.R. (W. H. Kettlewell, A.B., H.M.S. Bittern. 1913. 6 Pr. Q.F.) with Second Award Clasp ‘H.M.S. “Wolf” 1914. 6 Pr. Q.F.’; Denmark, Kingdom, Slesvig Medal 1920, silver, light contact marks, very fine or better (7) £1,200-£1,500

A total of only 62 Clasps awarded to the Naval Good Shooting Medal.

William Henry Kettlewell was born in the Scilly Islands on 30 May 1882 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 7 October 1897. Posted to H.M.S. Arethusa on 21 November 1899, he served in her during the Third China Warm being advanced Able Seaman on 15 March 1902. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 21 August 1915, and served during the Great War in a variety of ships, including Acasta-class destroyer H.M.S. Contest, being commended ‘for his behaviour under very trying circumstances on the occasion on the loss of Contest’ after she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-106 in the Western Approaches to the Channel during the First Battle of the Atlantic on 18 September 1917, with the loss of 35 lives. He later served in 1920 as part of the British and French operations in support of the Slesvig plebiscite, before being Shore Pensioned on 12 June 1922, and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day.