A good Great War Dardanelles campaign, Second World War Battle of the Atlantic Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships and Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to Bugler later Colour Sergeant J.H. Harvey, Royal Marine Light Infantry who would see wartime service aboard HMS Euryalus during the Dardanelles campaign where the ship would help transport three companies of the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers and a platoon of the Royal Naval Division providing fire support to the landing after the soldiers were transferred to their boats for the actual landing on Beach ‘W’. Euryalus would alter bombard the Turkish positions during the Second Battle of Krithia on 6th May 1915. He would later see service aboard Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Group of 8: 1914-1915 Star; (CH.17694 BUGR. J.H. HARVEY. R.M.L.I.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CH.17694 BUGR. J.H. HARVEY. R.M.L.I.) 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR, (CH.17694 J.H. HARVEY. SGT. R.M.) Mounted loose for wear.
Condition: mounted loose for wear, contact wear, Very Fine
Joseph Harry Harvey was born in Gillingham, Kent on 12th December 1897 and joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry as a Bugler on 3rd December 1912, before embarking Euryalus on 14th February 1914. He would return to Chatham on 26th July 1914 just before the outbreak of war before rejoining Euryalus on 2nd August 1914. He would remain aboard Euryalus until 16th December 1915.
At the outbreak of the war in August 1914, she was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron, tasked with patrolling the Broad Fourteens of the North Sea in support of a force of destroyers and submarines based at Harwich, which protected the eastern end of the English Channel from German warships attempting to attack the supply route between England and France. On 10 August, she became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Arthur Christian, commander of the Southern Force, formed to command all of the forces defending the eastern end of the Channel. During the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August, the ship was in reserve off the Dutch coast, and saw no action.
On 20 September 1914, Euryalus and her sisters Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue were on patrol in the Broad Fourteen. Euryalus had to return to port that morning to recoal. Two days later the three remaining cruisers were sunk by the SM U-9 and Christian was subsequently relieved of his command. As a result of these losses, she, and her sister Bacchante, were transferred to the 12th Cruiser Squadron to escort ships between England and Gibraltar in early October.
Euryalus and Bacchante were transferred to Egypt in late January 1915 to reinforce the defences of the Suez Canal, although the Turkish raid on the Suez Canal had already been repulsed by the time that they arrived in February. Upon arrival Rear-Admiral Richard Peirse, commander of the East Indies Station, hoisted his flag in Euryalus. By this time the preliminary bombardments of the Turkish defences of the Dardanelles had already occurred, and the sisters were transferred north in March as the Turks east of the Canal proved to be reasonably quiet.
Euryalus became the flagship of Rear Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss in April, after he was put in charge of the main landings at Gallipoli. During the landings at Cape Helles on the morning of 25 April, Euryalus transported three companies of the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers and a platoon of the Royal Naval Division, and then provided fire support to the landing after the soldiers were transferred to their boats for the actual landing on Beach 'W'. She also bombarded Turkish positions during the Second Battle of Krithia on 6 May. A month later, Wemyss hauled down his flag and resumed his original commanding of the Allied base at Mudros.
Harvey joined Lord Nelson on 17th December 1915, a posting he held until 14th August 1916 when he joined S.S. Huntsend on passage, before once more being posted to the Chatham Division where he arrived on 12th September 1916, he would see service with the 3rd Royal Marine Battalion from 1st November 1916 until 3rd February 1918 when he returned to Chatham being appointed a Private on 20th February 1918 from his long previous held appointment of Bugler.
He would transfer to Deal between 28th February and 7th August 1918 before once more returning to Chatham, where he remained until 4th January 1919 when he moved to Colleen, he would serve there until returning to the Chatham Division on 29th March 1921.
He would serve with the 11th Royal Marine Battalion from 1st July 1921 until 13th October 1921. He would serve with Cordelia from 28th July 1922 until 8th August 1922, he would then be posted to Cambrian, being promoted Corporal on 21st April 1923. He would return to Chatham Division on 13th July 1923 and served there until 17th October 1923 when he was posted to the Royal Sovereign where he stayed until 3rd May 1926. After being with Chatham Division from 4th May to 21st June 1925 he would serve with Sandhurst from 22nd June 1926 until 28th January 1929, then returning to Chatham. He would be promoted to sergeant on 27th October 1929 before transferring to Pembroke on 26th September 1930, and then Chatham from 17th December 1930 until 21st July 1921, Sandhurst from 22nd July 1931 until 24th July 1933, before returning to the Chatham Division on 28th July 1933, being promoted Colour Sergeant on 20th December 1934. He would then be posted to the Royal Marine Depot at Deal from 1st January 1935 before being discharged on 11th December 1936.
He would rejoin for a second period of engagement just before the war, joining the Chatham Division as a Colour Sergeant on 26th August 1939 until 14th November 1939, before transferring to President III for service aboard Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships during the Battle of the Atlantic. He would return to the Chatham Division on 19th March 1941, before transferring to President on 4th September 1941, he would return to Chatham Division on 30th October 1942 remaining there until he moved to Deal on 1st April 1944 for the remainder of the war. He transferred back to Chatham Division for the final time on 24th July 1945 before being release to Class A reserve on 25th September 1945.
