Great War January 1918 Loss of the Racoon Casualty 1914-1915 trio awarded to Able Seaman E. Marsters, Royal Navy, who saw service aboard the battleship Hibernia when she participated in the Royal Navy’s response to the German bombardment of Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby in December 1914, and having later taken part in coving the evacuation from Gallipoli, he was aboard the destroyer Racoon as part of the Second Destroyer Flotilla at Londonderry, she was wrecked off the north of Ireland on 9th January 1918 with the loss of ninety-five men, her entire crew apart from nine men who had been left behind at her last port. She was reported to have foundered in a snow storm after hitting rocks at about 2am.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (J.19209. E. MARSTERS. A.B., R.N.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (J.19209 E. MARSTERS. A.B. R.N.)
Condition: Good Very Fine or better.
Ernest Marsters was born on 17th February 1896 in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, and having worked as a dairyman’s milk boy, then joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Chatham No.J.19209) with Ganges from 10th August 1912, being advanced to Boy 1st Class whilst still with Ganges on 10th February 1913, he was rated as an Ordinary Seaman whilst with the battleship Hibernia on 17th February 1914, and was still aboard her on the outbreak of the Great War, when as part of the 3rd Battle Squadron, she served on the Northern Patrol, but in November 1914 was detached to the Channel Fleet and based at Portland, and she participated in the Royal Navy’s response to the German bombardment of Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby in December 1914. Marsters was rated as an Able Seaman whilst still aboard Hibernia on 29th May 1915. In December 1915, Hibernia was transferred to the Gallipoli Campaign and provided cover for the evacuation from the Gallipoli Peninsula, and on returning to the United Kingdom joined the More Command in June 1916.
Marsters was posted to Pembroke I from 3rd June 1917, and then joined the depot ship Dido for service aboard the destroyer Surprise from 14th September 1917, which vessel was then under construction, and he rejoined Pembroke I from 21st September 1917, before joining the depot ship Hecla for service aboard the destroyer Racoon from 10th October 1917, from which vessel he was ‘discharged dead’ on 9th January 1918. Racoon saw service with the Second Destroyer Flotilla at Londonderry, was wrecked off the north of Ireland on 9 January 1918 with the loss of ninety-five men, her entire crew apart from nine men who had been left behind at her last port. She was reported to have foundered in a snow storm after hitting rocks at about 2am. Marsters was one of those men who lost their lives when Racoon was wrecked, and having no known grave, he is commemorated by name on the Chatham Naval Memorial.