Great War Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Group awarded to Able Seaman A.J. Booth, Royal Navy who saw wartime service aboard the torpedo boat destroyer HMS Bonetta and later aboard HMS Erin, during which time he would be involved in the unsuccessful attempt to intercept the German High Seas Fleet which was attempting to raid British Convoys around Norway. Booth would continue to serve after the war and would be awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 8th January 1925 whilst serving with H.M.S. Vivid, his grandson later claiming he was still serving during the Second World War as a Chief Petty Officer aboard H.M.S. Hood but missed it’s fateful voyage when the train he was travelling on had the line bombed out in front of him.
Group of 4: 1914-1915 Star; (SS.2871. A.J. BOOTH. A.B. R.N.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (S.S.2871 A.J. BOOTH. R.N.) Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR, (J.105848 A.J. BOOTH. A.B. H.M.S. VIVID.
Condition: Good Very Fine
Along with:
3 Group photographs in which Booth is identified.
Postcard home from H.M.S. Erin to his dearest Annie.
Silver medallion, HMS Erin, runners up, with the recipients initials ‘A.J.B.’ engraved to the reverse.
Alfred John Booth was born at Newport, Monmouth, on 30th May 1891 and would later join Vivid I as an Ordinary Seaman on 25th June 1909 where he would then serve until 12th August 1909, he would then transfer to Majestic from 13th August 1909 to 25th January 1910, then Blake from 26th January 1910 until 12th August 1912.
He would transfer back ashore to Vivid I from 16th October 1912 until 13th January 1913. A posting to Cumberland then followed from 16th January – 23rd September 1913 before returning ashore to Vivid I from 24th September 1913 until 29th July 1914 before seeing the outbreak of war aboard the Torpedo Boat Destroyer, H.M.S. Bonetta where he served until 19th April 1915. He would return to Vivid I from 20th April to 22nd June 1915 and then was attached to Vernon from 23rd June 1915 to 30th November 1916. He would serve with Maidstone from 1st December 1915 to 19th April 1916. Returning ashore to Vivid from 20th April 1916 until 7th April 1917, he would then serve with Erin for the remainder of the war until he was demobilised ashore on 6th March 1919, his only noticeable action whilst aboard being whilst sortieing to unsuccessfully intercept the German High Seas Fleet which had planned to raid British Convoys around Norway. However the German fleet’s radio silence was broken when there was an accident aboard and despite the British fleets attempts to intercept the Germans returned to base long before they were found.
He would join the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day, before rejoining the Royal Navy on 1st September 1919, being posted to Vivid as an Acting Stoker 1st class from 1st September 1919 until 31st December 1919, he would then transfer to Sandhurst where he would remain until 31st August 1921 being appointed Stoker 1st Class whilst aboard Sandhurst on 10th August 1920. He would join Vivid II from 21st September 1921, transferring to a new service number and to the rank Able Seaman on 26th January 1922 until 1st February 1923. He would subsequently serve with Valiant from 2nd February 1923 until 5th September 1924, before he returned to Vivid I, where he would remain until 6th January 1926 being appointed Leading Seaman on 31st January 1925. He would be posted to Hood from 7th January 1926 until 27th August 1928, and then returned back to Vivid I from 28th August 1928 and would subsequently be awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 8th January 1925 whilst serving with H.M.S. Vivid.
A note from the previous owner states that in a conversation with him the grandson had stated that his Grandfather had also served in the Second World War, and served as a Chief Petty Officer on HMS Hood but when catching a train, the line was bombed out and he failed to catch the ship when it left. He would eventually be invalided out.
