A Collection of Medals to Recipients of the 1914 Star

Three: Acting Chief Petty Officer F. C. Olding, Drake Battalion, Royal Naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was wounded by shell-fire and awarded the G.O.C.’s certificate for ‘zeal and devotion to duty’ at Gallipoli in December 1915

1914 Star, with later clasp (104694. F. Olding, Sto. 1 Cl. Drake Bttn. R.N.D.); British War and Victory Medals (SS. 104694 F. C. Olding. Sto. 1 R.N.) good very fine (3) £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Recipients of the 1914 Star.

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Frederick Charles Olding was born at Ipswich, Suffolk in 1887 and, having joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Class II on 12 March 1907, served in a succession of Royal Navy cruisers until transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve at Portsmouth on 10 March 1912.

Olding was recalled to serve in the Drake Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 2 August 1914 and was present with the Machine Gun Section in the operations around Antwerp in the autumn of 1914. Advanced to Acting Petty Officer on 18 February 1915, he embarked with the Drake Battalion the following month to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and was concussed by shell-fire in the operations against the Dardanelles in December 1915. Hospitalised on Malta from 1 January 1916, he was awarded a Certificate by the G.O.C. for ‘Zeal and Devotion to Duty’ on 9 March 1916, granted entitlement to wear a wound stripe and proceeded to Portsmouth for transfer to the Home Establishment. He subsequently served in the scout cruiser H.M.S. Fearless from January 1917 to August 1918 and was demobilised on 29 March 1919. His 1914 Star was sent to ‘Ganges’ on 5 February 1919 and the clasp issued on 14 April 1936.