Great War 1914-1915 Star trio and Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal awarded to Boy 1st Class later Able Seaman V. Preston, Royal Navy later Royal Fleet Reserve who would serve off the west coast of Africa during the operations in the Cameroons where H.M.S. Cumberland the ship he was aboard captured 40 German merchantmen at Douala on 27th September 1914. He would later serve aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Sprightly as part of the Scapa Local Defence Flotilla.
Group of 4: 1914-1915 Star; (J.29206 V. PRESTON. BOY.1., R.N.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (J.29206 V. PRESTON. A.B. R.N.) Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR coinage bust; (J.29206 (P.O.B.16956) V. PRESTON. A.B. R.F.R.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Vernon Preston was born in Ilfracombe, Devon on 29th September 1898 and giving his trade as an ‘Errand Boy’ served as a Boy Sailor from 12th January 1914 and later joined the Royal Navy for 12 years on 29th September 1916, his eighteenth birthday.
At the outbreak of war he would be serving aboard HMS Cumberland where he would remain until 20th October 1916. Cumberland was sent to West Africa after the beginning of the war in August 1914 and supported operations in the Cameroons where she captured 10 German merchantmen at Douala on 27 September. She was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron in January 1915 where she conducted patrols for German raiders and escorted convoys for the rest of the war.
He would spend the majority of the rest of the war aboard HMS Sprightly, a Destroyer that saw service as part of the Scapa Local Defence Flotilla.
After his initial service he would join the Royal Fleet Reserve on 29th September 1928, and was later attached to Dolphin for a short time in 1938 before being demobilised on 21st October 1938
