Great War, Russian Civil War, Greco-Turkish Conflict, and Second World War Battleship Operations New Years Honours 1941 Mention in Despatches and long service group awarded to Chief Petty Officer E.E. Steadman, Royal Navy. Steadman from Chatham, Kent, saw service during the Great War escorting convoys in the Atlantic when aboard the cruiser Achilles. He was then present in the Black Sea at the time of both the Russian Civil War and the Greco-Turkish when aboard the battleship Emperor of India, at a time when she came under fire from a Bolshevik armoured train. Awarded his long service medal in the mid 1930’s, with the Second World War he saw service aboard the battlecruiser Renown. As such he participated in the hunt for the Graf Spee, the Norwegian Campaign, as part of Force H at Gibralter including the Battle of Cape Spartivento, and in the hunt for the Bismarck, being awarded a Mention in Despatches in the New Years Honours of 1941.
Group of 8: British War Medal and Victory Medal, both renamed but clearly done by the recipient; (J54623 E. STEADMAN. ORD.); 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence Medal; War Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Coinage bust; (J.54623 E.E. STEADMAN, P.O. H.M.S. TITANIA.), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: first two unofficially renamed, slight contact wear, Very Fine.
Together with the old Gaunt & Son card box in which the medals were held, this addressed to: ‘CPO E.E. STEADMAN, RN c/o Lord 162 East Street, London, Ont.’ for London, Ontario, Canada. Also the recipient’s tunic medal ribbon bar for the first four awards.
Edward Ephraim Steadman was born on 6 February 1901 in Chatham, Kent. He originally joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class (Chatham No.J54623) with Powerful from July 1916, being advanced to Boy 1st Class on 19 December 1916, and saw service aboard the armoured cruiser Achilles from June 1917, being rated as an Ordinary Seaman whilst aboard her on 13 August 1918. Whilst with Achilles he saw service on the North America and West Indies Station on convoy escort work, and he ended the war with her, being posted off her in February 1917. He was aboard the battleship Emperor of India between October 1919 and November 1920, and as such saw service in support of the Allied Intervention in the Russia Civil War when operating in the Black Sea, in which period his ship also observed during the Greco-Turkish War. On 26 March 1920, Emperor of India provided gunfire support to the evacuating White Russian forces outside Novorossivsk. Shortly thereafter, Emperor of India came under fire from an armoured train, prompting the ship to leave the harbour, bound for Theodosia. Steadman was rated as an Able Seaman on 8 November 1920.
He was aboard the light cruiser Calypso when advanced to Leading Seaman on 1 March 1922, and having been with the repair ship Sandhurst in the Mediterranean when he was advanced to Acting Petty Officer on 9 January 1932 and promoted to Petty Officer on 9 January 1933, was aboard the submarine depot Titania when he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, being with her between September 1933 and June 1935. He was with Wildfire when promoted to Chief Petty Officer on 11 June 1938.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Steadman was aboard the battlecruiser Renown, she being initially sent to the South Atlantic to participate in the hunt for the Graf Spee, he was then still aboard her when she participated in the Norwegian Campaign and in the search for the Bismarck in May 1941, when assigned to Force H at Gibraltar, as a result of which he was also with Renown when she saw service in the Mediterranean escorting convoys, having also been present at the Battle of Cape Spartivento back in September 1940. Steadman was posted to Victory I from September 1941. For his gallant and distinguished services aboard Renown, Steadman was awarded a Mention in Despatches in the King’s New Years Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 1 January 1941.