A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman

A rare Murmansk 1919 M.S.M. group of six awarded to Victualling Chief Petty Officer G. T. A. Gourd, Royal Navy

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1908-10 (343393 G. T. A. Gourd, Sh. Std., H.M.S. Philomel); 1914-15 Star (343393 G. T. A. Gourd, S.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (343393 G. T. A. Gourd, V.C.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (343393 G. T. A. Gourd, Sh. Std., H.M.S. Albemarle); Royal Navy Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (343393 G. T. A. Gourd, Vict. C.P.O., “Glory”, Murmansk), surname officially corrected on the fifth, contact marks, generally very fine or better (6) £600-700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman.

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Ex Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, R.N., collection, sold in these rooms on 16 October 1996 (Lot 485).

George Thomas Alfred Gourd was born in Landport, Hampshire in November 1880 and entered the Royal Navy as a Ship Steward’s Assistant in May 1900. Advanced to Ship’s Steward in September 1906, he served in H.M.S. Philomel from January 1908 until July 1909, in which ship he qualified for his Africa General Service Medal for the Somaliland operations.

Gourd was serving in the same rate aboard the battleship Albemarle on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, in which ship he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1915, before removing to a shore appointment in Portsmouth in September 1916. A few months later he reported to the Dover base Attentive II and thence returned to Portsmouth in early 1917 as a newly advanced Victualling Chief Petty Officer.

In August 1918, he joined the Glory, the ex-Russian cruiser Askold, which had been seized in the same month, and which was subsequently used as a depot ship in the White Sea and Kola inlet. And it was for his services in this capacity that he was awarded the M.S.M. (London Gazette 12 December 1919, refers), the original recommendation stating:

‘The attached list of Petty Officers belonging to H.M.S. Glory I wish to bring to your notice in connection with the North Russian operations during the last 12 months. They are selected from a large number of Petty Officers and men, all of whom have been very actively engaged in work in connection with the various craft being repaired and victualed etc., at Murmansk on their way to Archangel and on their return on the evacuation of Archangel and Murmansk. Their services have been most valuable on account of the great variety of Officers, Men and craft it was necessary to deal with and the urgent repairs so often necessary, and I cannot speak too highly of the loyal and energetic manner they have always carried out their duties.’

Gourd returned to the U.K. in November 1919 and was finally pensioned ashore April of the following year; sold with a file of research.