South Russia Black Sea 1920 Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War and inter-war long service group to a Second World War casualty, awarded to Petty Officer G.E. Channell, Royal Navy. From Chester, Cheshire, he saw continuous service from November 1918 up until he committed suicide on 28 August 1941 whilst a Gunner’s Mate serving with the Ainsdale Sands Gunnery School. Channell had been aboard the battleship Resolution when in 1920 she was on service in the Black Sea and supporting the White Russians against the Bolshevik during the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War. He was with Drake at Devonport when he received his long service medal during 1936. From the outbreak of the Second World War he was aboard the destroyer leader Montrose, and saw service with Western Approaches Command and operating out of Milford Haven, and tasked with anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort in the East Atlantic. On 30 September 1939, Montrose attacked a suspected German submarine south of Plymouth and on 2 October 1939, Montrose and the destroyer Keith attacked another suspected submarine. On 26 May 1940, Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk, began, with Montrose being ordered to take part. On 28 May she successfully evacuated 925 troops, landing them at Dover. She was heading out on another run to Dunkirk early in the morning of 29 May when she collided in a fog bank with the tug Sun V and had to be towed back to Dover. After repair, Montrose joined the 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Nore Command, based at Harwich In July 1940, in the first part of the Battle of Britain, German aircraft carried out a campaign of attacks against coastal shipping in the English Channel, and on 27 July, as part of this campaign, attacked Montrose and the destroyer Wren, which were escorting minesweepers off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Montrose claimed two German bombers shot down during the engagement, but was badly damaged by near-misses which immobilised her and required her to be once again towed. Channell was serving with the Ainsdale Sands Gunnery School from January 1941, and shot himself whilst in a shore ranger’s hut at Ainsdale on 28 August 1941.
Group of 3: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (J.93608 J.E. CHANNELL. BOY 1. R.N.); Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Coinage bust; (J.93608 G.E. CHANNELL. L.S. H.M.S. DRAKE.), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: heavily polished, about Very Fine.
Together with a King’s Crown Royal Navy silver tie pin.
George Edwin Channell was born on 3 April 1903 in Chester, Cheshire, and with the Great War coming to its end, he then joined the Royal Navy straight from school as a Boy 2nd Class (Devonport No.J.93698) with Impregnable from 23 November 1918, being advanced to Boy 1st Class on 15 March 1919. Posted aboard the battleship Queen Elizabeth from 22 October 1919, and then the battleship Resolution from 15 January 1920, he therefore just gained entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, as this vessel was then on service in the Black Sea when supporting the White Russians against the Bolshevik during the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War. Resolution returned to her duties with the 1st Battle Squadron as part of the Atlantic Fleet in August 1920.
Channell was still aboard Resolution when he was rated as an Ordinary Seaman on 2 December 1920, and as an Able Seaman on 30 June 1921, before being posted to Vivid I in June 1922. Posted to the destroyer depot ship Woolwich for service aboard the destroyer Sesame from 29 August 1923 he then saw service with the Irish Destroyer Flotilla until posted back to Vivid I from October 1925, and in that same month joined Victory Xi for service aboard the minesweeper Newark and then switching to the minesweeper Tiverton in March 1927. Since February 1926 he had been serving as a Seaman Gunner. Between March 1932 and July 1935 he was aboard the destroyer Achates when serving in the Mediterranean and operating from Malta, being aboard her when rated as an Acting Leading Seaman on 27 January 1934, and as a Leading Seaman on 27 January 1935.
Having held the acting position of Gun Layer 2nd Class since May 1931, he was confirmed in this role in May 1936, and in that same year was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal whilst serving with Drake at Devonport. He was then further appointed to Acting Petty Officer on 13 October 1936 before being promoted to Petty Officer on 13 October 1937, all whilst with Drake I. With the outbreak of the Second World War Channell, by then a Gunner’s Mate, was serving with Drake IV and aboard the destroyer leader Montrose, which vessel in September 1939 was made the leader of the 17th Destroyer Flotilla based at Milford Haven and part of the Western Approaches Command, and for the first few months back in active service was tasked with anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort in the East Atlantic. On 30 September 1939, Montrose attacked a suspected German submarine south of Plymouth and on 2 October 1939, Montrose and the destroyer Keith attacked another suspected submarine.
On 26 May 1940, Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk, began, with Montrose being ordered to take part. On 28 May she successfully evacuated 925 troops, landing them at Dover. She was heading out on another run to Dunkirk early in the morning of 29 May when she collided in a fog bank with the tug Sun V, breaking the destroyer's stem. Montrose had to be towed back to Dover stern-first by the tug Lady Brassey. Montrose was under repair at Harland and Wolff’s North Woolwich yard from 31 May to 5 July 1940. After repair, Montrose joined the 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Nore Command, based at Harwich In July 1940, in the first part of the Battle of Britain, German aircraft carried out a campaign of attacks against coastal shipping in the English Channel, and on 27 July, as part of this campaign, attacked Montrose and the destroyer Wren, which were escorting minesweepers off Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Montrose claimed two German bombers shot down during the engagement, but was badly damaged by near-misses which immobilised her, while Wren was sunk. Montrose had to be towed back to Sheerness.
Channell was posted back to Drake I from 10 August 1940, and then joined the Glasgow base Spartiate for with services with Western Approaches Command aboard the destroyer Nerissa from 3 September 1940, but on this vessel being handed over to the Free Polish Navy and renamed ORP Priorun, he was posted back to Drake I from 22 November 1940, and then joined Excellent at Portsmouth for service with the Ainsdale Sands Gunnery School from 30 January 1941. Channell was serving as a Petty Officer and Gunner’s Mate with this establishment when he committed suicide on 28 August 1941, with the coroner’s report stating that he had committed ‘suicide by shooting whilst the balance of his mind was disturbed’. He had shot himself in the head whilst in a shore ranger’s hut at Ainsdale. His death and the circumstances that led to it were reported in The Liverpool Echo on 29 August 1941. Channell lies buried in Bootle Cemetery. Additionally entitled to the 1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star and War Medal.
