Great War officers pair awarded to Midshipman R.E. Pettifer, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who saw service at the Anti-Submarine School, HMS Sarepta, and later aboard Motor Launch 298 which was based at HMS Shikari II a small naval base near Swansea aboard which he would have acted as the Hydrophone Officer in which operation he qualified during July 1918.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (MID. R.E. PETTIFER. R.N.V.R.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Randolph Edward Pettifer was born in 1900 and was pointed a temporary Midshipman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the 18th May 1918. He carried out an initial period of training at HMS Hermione. The Hermione was an old Victorian cruiser that was used as a depot ship at Southampton.
From the Hermione Randolph was appointed to HMS Sarepta a shore base at Portland that was an Anti-Submarine School and also the experimental base where that was also called HMS Sarepta. This drifter displaced 89 tons and was built in 1906 and hired by the Admiralty during January 1915. The Sarepta was armed with 1 six pound gun. While at Sarepta Randolph qualified as a Hydrophone Officer during July 1918.
Randolph was next appointed to HMS Shikari II a small naval base near Swansea. Here he was allocated to the crew of Motor Launch 298 under the command of Lt N.O. Searle RNVR. In the main the Motor Launches were 46 tons, 80 ft long with a beam of 12ft 6in and a draft of 4ft. They were armed with one 3 pound gun and depth charges . They had a crew of eight and ML 298 was fitted out to conduct anti-submarine patrols and Randolph as the only other officer aboard would have overseen the operation of the hydrophone.
On the 31st December 1918 Randolph was advised that his application to transfer to the Royal Naby had been refused. Following the end of the war many of the temporary bases closed and Randolph was drafted to HMS Thalia a naval base at Cromarty Firth and Peterhead in Scotland. He was allocated to ML 91 on the 13th February 1919. During May 1919, Randolph returned to Hermione to be demobilised from naval service.
Pettifer died in 1924 in unknown circumstances leaving an estate of £3,561 and 8 shillings. His medals were subsequently claimed by his mother.
