Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Captain (Engineer) G. T. Sullivan, H.M.S. Marlborough, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (Mte. G. T. Sullivan. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Eng. Lt. G. T. Sullivan. R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued, generally very fine and better (6) £180-£220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals for the Battle of Jutland.

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Provenance: Oliver Stirling Lee Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, December 2004.

The dreadnought battleship H.M.S. Marlborough was launched on 24 October 1912 and was part of the 1st Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland.

George Thomas Sullivan was born in Plymouth on 7 June 1889 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer in September 1905. In November 1914, however, while serving aboard H.M.S. Lion, he became one of the first ratings ever to be appointed Mate (E.), R.N., and shortly afterwards joined the battleship H.M.S. Marlborough. He was serving in her at the Battle of Jutland, when she was hit by a torpedo that caused a 70 ft. long by 20 ft. deep hole but still maintained her position in the battle line throughout, her gunfire inflicting considerable damage on at least two enemy capital ships.

Sullivan ended the Great War as an Engineer Lieutenant aboard the Agincourt and gained further advancement to Commander (E.) prior to his retirement at the end of 1937. Recalled shortly before the advent of hostilities in 1939, he was employed for the remainder of the War by the Admiralty’s Department of Naval Ordnance at Vickers Armstrong’s Elswick Yard, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and was placed back on the Retired List in the rank of Captain (E.), R.N., in 1945-46.