A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Navy

Five: Petty Officer 2nd Class A. Stevens, Royal Navy, killed in action on H.M.S. Good Hope at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Ord., H.M.S. Terrible) small impressed naming; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (A.B., H.M.S. Terrible); 1914-15 Star (190224 P.O. 11 (sic), R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (190224 P.O. 2, R.N.) first two with contact marks, nearly very fine; others good very fine (5) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Navy.

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Arthur Stevens was born in Derby on 1 May 1881, the son of Enoch and Alice Stevens. A Shop Boy by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on Impregnable in August 1896 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class on the Lion in May 1897. He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman on the Volage in May 1899 and was posted to the 1st class cruiser Terrible, September 1899-October 1901. On the ship, he served in the operations in South Africa and in the supression of the Boxer Rebellion, where he was involved in the relief of Pekin. Stevens was promoted to Able Seaman on 1 October 1900 whilst on the Terrible. Stevens was advanced to Leading Seaman in October 1902 when on the Duke of Wellington and to Petty Officer 2nd Class in 1906 when on the Hindustan. He then took his discharge by purchase in February 1907 and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve in the following month, re-enrolling in 1911. With the onset of war Stevens returned to service and was posted to the armoured cruiser Good Hope. Petty Officer Stevens serving on the Good Hope was killed in action at the battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914. He was the husband of Hannah Stevens of 40 Liversage Street, Derby. His name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, R.N., was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas. In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of British armoured cruisers’ casemate guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness.

Sold with Royal Naval Memorial scroll (folded) and with copied service paper.