Great War Battle of Jutland and Russian Civil War veterans Royal Navy Parchment Certificate of Service, as issued to Master-at-Arms G.T. Stephens, Royal Navy. From West Bromwich, Staffordshire, he saw service between November 1897 and February 1922, and was aboard the light cruiser Castor at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May to 1 June 1916, in which she was damaged by German gunfire and suffered 10 casualties, and then in the Black Sea from 1919 to 1920 during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War. He was invalided from service in February 1922 but was nevertheless awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in April 1922.
Royal Navy Parchment Certificate of Service, as issued to: George Thomas Stevens, covering his service between November 1897 and February 1922.
Condition: Fair condition for age and use.
George Thomas Stevens was born on 7 May 1882 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, and having worked as a rivet boy, then joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Portsmouth No.196603) with Impregnable on 23 November 1897, being rated as a Boy 1st Class on 15 September 1898. Rated as an Ordinary Seaman when aboard the battleship Canopus on 7 May 1900, and then as an Able Seaman whilst with the base ship Duke of Wellington on 15 May 1901, he was advanced to Leading Seaman whilst with the cruiser Leviathan on 23 April 1905, and seeing service with the Mediterranean Fleet.
Stevens was promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class whilst with the shore establishment Vernon on 1 March 1906, and then rebadged as a Ships Corporal 2nd Class whilst with the destroyer depot ship Hecla on 1 November 1909, he having passed the examination for this rank back in November 1907 shortly after joining Hecla. Stevens was with the battleship Jupiter when promoted to the rank of Ships Corporal 1st Class on 1 May 1910.
On the outbreak of the Great War, Stevens was with Victory I at Portsmouth, and he was there when promoted to Master-at-Arms on 4 March 1915, before being posted aboard the light cruiser Castor from 12 November 1915 and seeing service with her for the rest of the war. She was the flagship for Commordore (D) assigned to the 11th Destroyer Flotilla with the Grand Fleet and fought in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May to 1 June 1916, in which she was damaged by German gunfire and suffered 10 casualties. On 4 October 1917, the United States Navy patrol vessel USS Rehoboth suffered an uncontrollable leak in her hull while on patrol duty off France. Rehoboth's crew had to be taken off, and Castor sank her with gunfire. After the war Castor served in the Black Sea from 1919 to 1920 during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War.
Stevens who had been recommended for promotion to Chief Master-at-Arms bank on 1 July 1916, never received this promotion, but was present with Castor at the Battle of Jutland and during the Russian Civil War, before being posted back to Victory from 17 May 1920. He ultimately saw service with the light cruiser Champion from May 1920 to March 1921 and the Firth of Forth naval base Columbine from April to October 1921 when posted to Pembroke. He was invalided to Haslar Royal Naval Hospital on 4 January 1922, and was invalided from service on 1 February 1922. He was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in April 1922 and was also entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal as Caster did not see operational service until after the New Year of 1916, and his previous wartime service had been spent ashore with Victory at Portsmouth.
