An interesting Boxer Rebellion Relief of Pekin, Coronation 1911 and Great War Dover Patrol and Harwich Force Destroyer service group awarded to Able Seaman G.E. Penney, Royal Navy who had seen service in China during the Boxer Rebellion aboard H.M.S. Orlando where he had taken part in the operations to relieve Pekin, he would later be present during the 1911 Coronation celebrations whilst serving aboard the Acorn Class destroyer Lyra. During the Great War he would serve aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Murray which would serve as both of the Dover Patrol and the Harwich Force, he would take part in a raid on the radio station at Norddiech on the German North Sea coast which would be abandoned due to heavy fog which coursed the cruiser Undaunted and the destroyer Landrail to collide badly damaging both ships. He would also take part in a bombardment of Zeebrugge during which Murray would be hit by a single 150mm shell which failed to explode, in towing back the destroyer Matchless which had had its bow blown off by a German mine off Harwich and several minelaying operations off the coast of Belgium
Group of 5: China Medal 1900, 1 Clasp: Relief of Pekin; (G.E. PENNEY. A.B., H.M.S. ORLANDO.) 1914-1915 Star; (152284 G.E. PENNEY. A.B., R.N.) 1914-1915 Star; (152284 G.E. PENNEY. A.B., R.N.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (152284 G.E. PENNEY. A.B. R.N.) Coronation Medal 1911.
Condition: Good Very Fine
George Edwin Penney was born in Lewes, Sussex and giving his trade as a labourer joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Sailor 2nd Class aboard Boscowen from 9th January 1890 before being advanced to Boy 1st Class on 4th February 1891. He would spend a short time aboard Sans Pareil before transferring to Thrush on 26th August 1891. He would start his 12 years service on 30th December 1892 being given the rank Ordinary Seaman. He would be promoted to Able Seaman on 29th March 1894 whilst serving aboard Alexandra, a rank he would retain until the end of his service.
Penney would serve with H.M.S. Orlando during the Boxer Rebellion where he would be present during the operations to relieve Pekin between June and August 1900. He would transfer to the Royal Fleet Reserve 11th January 1905 before re-engaging with the Royal Navy on 27th July 1905. He would be serving at the time of the 1911 Coronation, receiving his medal for his service aboard Acorn class destroyer Lyra.
During the Great War Penney would serve aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Murray from 26th January 1915 until 6th June 1917.
On 31 January 1915 Murray was one of seven M-class destroyers sent to Sheerness to escort minelaying operations at the east end of the English Channel by the minesweeper Paris. Minelaying operations started on 4 February and continued to 16 February, although the M-class destroyers, including Murray, were relieved by destroyers of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on 9 February, allowing them to return to Harwich. Late in March Murray was involved in anti-submarine patrols off the Dutch coast. On 23 March 1915, Murray took part in an attempted raid by seaplanes from the seaplane carrier Empress, escorted by the Harwich Force, against a radio station at Norddiech on the German North Sea coast. The attempt was abandoned due to heavy fog which caused the cruiser Undaunted and destroyer Landrail to collide, badly damaging both ships. Murray helped to escort the damaged Undaunted back to HMNB Chatham for repair. In June–July 1915, the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, including Murray, as a result of German submarine activity in the English Channel and south-western approaches, was deployed in escorting troop transports through the south-west approaches.
On 23 August 1915, the Dover Patrol bombarded the German-held port of Zeebrugge, with Murray one of twelve destroyers from the Harwich Force attached to the Dover Patrol for this action. While at the time, the British believed that the bombardment was successful, in fact, little damage was done. On 30 October Murray took part in a sweep by the Harwich Force of the German Bight during which the Swedish steamer Osterland was stopped and sent to the Humber for investigation of a suspicious cargo of iron ore. On 8 November the Harwich Force was deployed in support of Operation DZ, where Princess Margaret and Angora laid 850 mines in the German Bight. On the return journey, the destroyer Matchless had her stern blown off by a German mine off Orfordness on the evening of 9 November and was taken under tow by Murray until relieved by a light cruiser from Harwich.
On the morning of 21 February 1916, Murray left Harwich as part of the Harwich Force to cover minesweeping operations in the North Sea. Later that day she collided with the destroyer Milne, receiving sufficient damage that she had to be sent to Chatham for repair. (This operation was plagued with accidents – the destroyers Lark and Llewellyn had collided on leaving Harwich on the afternoon of 20 February, while the leader Tipperary had run aground when leaving harbour on the morning of 21 February.) Murray took part in another attempted raid by seaplanes on 24–25 March 1916, this time launched by HMS Vindex against a German Zeppelin base believed to be at Hoyer in Schleswig-Holstein. Most of the Harwich Force was deployed as escort for Vindex. Only two out of five seaplanes dispatched returned, reporting that the Zeppelin base was in fact at Tondern, but that they were unable to attack the base. Tyrwhitt sent 10 of his destroyers, including Murray to search for the missing seaplanes. No sign of the missing seaplanes was found (they had ditched due to engine trouble, and their crews captured by the Germans) but the force encountered two German patrol boats (Braunschweig and Otto Rudolf) which they sank. When picking up survivors from the two patrol boats, Laverock rammed the destroyer Medusa. While damage to Laverock was confined to her bows, Medusa had been holed in her engine room and was taken in tow by the flotilla leader Lightfoot, but due to the severe weather, Medusa eventually had to be scuttled. During the return journey of Tyrwhitt's force, the cruisers Cleopatra and Undaunted also collided, badly damaging Undaunted, shortly after Cleopatra rammed and sunk the German destroyer G 194.
From 24 April 1916, the Dover Patrol carried out a large-scale operation off the Belgian coast to lay mines and nets, in an attempt to limit use of the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge to German U-boats. Murray was one of twelve destroyers of the Harwich Force that took part in escorting the operations. On the afternoon of 24 April, three German torpedo boats attempted to interfere with the drifters laying the nets off Zeebrugge, and Murray, together with Milne, Medea and Melpomene, engaged the three torpedo boats, which retreated towards Zeebrugge with the four British destroyers in pursuit. The British destroyers came under heavy fire from German shore batteries. Murray was hit in the forecastle by a single 150 mm shell that failed to explode, while Melpomene was hit in the engine room and lost power. Milne attempted to take Melpomene under tow, but fouled her port propeller with the tow cable, so Medea went to assist with the tow. The three German torpedo boats then returned to attack the British ships, with Medea hit three times by German shells, but were driven off by 12-inch fire from the monitor Prince Eugene. The minefield probably caused the loss of one U-Boat, UB-13, although at the time it was thought that four or five German submarines had been sunk.
Murray transferred to the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla of the Dover Patrol on 5 June 1917.
Penney would move ashore on 7th June 1917 and would remain there for the rest of his service being demobilised ashore on 4th June 1919.
