Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War Battle of Jutland D.S.M. group of six awarded to Yeoman of the Signals A. J. Colyer, Royal Navy

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (186278 Yeo. Sigs., H.M.S. Kempenfelt, 31 May-1 June 1916); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Natal (Qd. Sigln., H.M.S. Widgeon); 1914-15 Star (186278 Y.S., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (186278 Y.S., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (186278 Yeo. of Sigs., H.M.S. Venus), this last with minor official correction, very fine and better (6) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals.

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Just 91 Queen’s South Africa Medals were awarded to the ship’s company of H.M.S. Widgeon, 72 of them for “Natal”.

Arthur John Colyer was born in Bracknell, Berkshire in October 1880 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in November 1895. A Qualified Signalman by the outbreak of hostilities in South Africa, he served aboard the gunboat H.M.S. Widgeon from October 1899 to August 1901 - and was issued with a duplicate medal while serving in the Research in June 1904.

Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in November 1913, Colyer was serving as a Yeoman of the Signals in the destroyers’ depot ship Woolwich by the outbreak of hostilities in the following year, but in September 1915 he returned to more active employment with an appointment in the flotilla leader Kempenfelt, in which destroyer he was present at the Battle of Jutland - his service record confirms the award of his D.S.M. ‘For services rendered in the action in the North Sea, 31 May-1 June 1916’.

He remained similarly employed until coming ashore again in June 1917, and was invalided as a result of rheumatism in November 1919.