Five: Able Seaman H. G. Smith, Royal Navy, a recipient of the rare Prize Firing Blue Jacket...

Five: Able Seaman H. G. Smith, Royal Navy, a recipient of the rare Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medal, who was killed in the auxiliary cruiser H.M.S. India when she was torpedoed off Norway in August 1915 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 copy clasp, Natal (192680 H. G. Smith, Ord., H.M.S. Terrible); China 1900, no clasp (H. G. Smith, A.B., H.M.S. Terrible.); 1914-15 Star (192680 H. G. Smith. A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (192680 H. G. Smith. A.B., R.N.) the V.M. unnamed; together with his Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medal, bronze (H. Smith, A.B. H.M.S. “Terrible” Prize. Crew. 1900) the ribbon bar inscribed ‘Prize Crew’ and top suspension bar inscribed ‘H.M.S. Terrible. Year 1900’; Borough of Portsmouth Tribute Medal, ‘Naval Brigade South Africa 1899-1900 North China 1900’, silver and enamel, some chips to central band; and his Memorial Plaque (Harold George Smith) light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (7) £400-£500 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Approximately 45 Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medals were awarded in bronze, prior to the introduction of the Naval Good Shooting Medal in October 1903. Harold George Smith was born in Poplar, London on 16 October 1880, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in March 1897. Joining H.M.S. Terrible in September 1898, he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman in the following month and to Able Seaman in August 1900 and remained likewise employed until October 1902, in which period he witnessed active service in the Naval Brigade landed for operations in South Africa; so, too, off China in the Boxer Rebellion. Bluejacket - Colenso As a member of Petty Officer Taylor’s gun crew, which went into action at Colenso on 15 December 1899, he would have witnessed the fate of Colonel Charles Long’s batteries immediately to his front. Intending to give the attacking infantry the closest possible support, Long moved 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery into the open to within 900 metres of the Boers, who subjected them to intense artillery and rifle fire. When Long’s ammunition was almost exhausted, the crews unharnessed the horses and, leaving the guns, retired to the cover of a ditch about 740 metres away to await fresh supplies. Here they were joined by General Buller, who called for volunteers to save the guns. Corporal George Nurse and some drivers of the 66th Battery, with three of Buller’s staff, including Lieutenant Hon. Frederick Roberts, King's Royal Rifle Corps, only son of Lord Roberts, reached the guns under a hail of fire and got two away, but Roberts was mortally wounded. Further attempts to reach the remaining ten guns proved fruitless, and Buller eventually ordered them to be abandoned. Lieutenant Roberts – posthumously - and Corporal Nurse were both awarded the Victoria Cross for their part in the action. Having themselves lost three dozen horses and some oxen, Smith and his fellow bluejackets managed to get their guns to safety by man-hauling, General Buller and his staff gamely dismounting to assist them. Having found a new position, Taylor’s gun took out a Boer gun which had been brought down from Fort Wylie but our cheering infantry were swiftly silenced when the Boers countered with a direct hit, splintering the limbers and wagons and wounding three bluejackets. As stated, Smith went on to serve off China in the Boxer Rebellion, prior to returning to Terrible’s warm reception at Portsmouth in September 1902. Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medal At that time, the Terrible was commanded by Captain Percy Scott, C.B., C.V.O., R.N., a noted gunnery expert, and research suggests he was the catalyst behind the creation of the Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medal. His good intentions certainly had the support of Sir Edward Seymour, Commander-in-Chief, China and, as it happened, the attention of Edward VII, who was fascinated by Scott’s recommendations on meeting him after a shooting party at Sandringham. The new award came into being in November 1902, the relevant announcement appearing in the Blue Jacket and Coast Guard Gazette: ‘As our readers know we have persistently pointed out the necessity of good shooting, and also the necessity of giving some extra inducement to the men of the navy to perfect themselves in this art. Not satisfied, however, with pointing out what should be done, we decided that we, ourselves, would do something, and immediately after, the phenomenal score of Grounds in 1901, the Editor of the Bluejacket approached a well-known and popular naval officer on the subject [likely Percy Scott]. Not only did this gentleman agree with the proposals laid before him, but he also offered to specially design a medal for the purpose. The original idea was to present a silver medal to the best shot in the navy each year, but it was pointed out that as the number one of the crew could not make good shooting without the co-operation of his gun’s crew on whom he largely depended, a bronze medal should also be presented to each one of the best shots gun’s crew. Not only was this agreed to, but the proprietors of this paper also decided to make the medal retrospective to the year 1900.’ And among the first recipients of a bronze medal was Harold Smith of the Terrible. In common with some of his shipmates, he received his award at a public reception and banquet held in Portsmouth on 23 September 1902, an occasion to mark the safe return of Captain Scott’s command from China. With the introduction of the Naval Good Shooting Medal in October 1903, no further awards of the Prize Firing Blue Jacket Medal were made. Up until then, the gun’s ‘Number One’ received a silver medal, and each of the gun’s crew of 7 or 8 men received a bronze medal, thus making a total issuance of six silver and 44 bronze medals; see The Naval Good Shooting Medal 1903-1914, by R. J. Scarlett, for further details. In February 1907, Smith purchased his discharge and enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve. Loss of the ‘India’ Recalled in August 1914, he joined the cruiser Sutlej, in which he served until April 1915, when he removed to the auxiliary cruiser India. Sadly, he among those lost when the latter ship was torpedoed by the U-22 off Bodo, Norway on 8 August 1915, with a loss of ten officers and 150 ratings. He left a widow, Isabella, of York Street, East Ham, Essex, and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.