The very fine Great War British Army Western Front Church Lads Brigade and Second World War Naval Service Evacuation of Dunkirk 1 June 1940 survivor of the sinking of the destroyer flotilla leader Keith and King’s Birthday Honours 1943 Harwich Patrol Vessel North Sea operations Mention in Despatches and long service group awarded to Chief Stoker J.A. Jewson, Royal Navy, formerly a Rifleman with the 16th (Service) Battalion (Church Lads Brigade), King’s Royal Rifle Corps. From South Northwood, Croydon, Surrey, he served under a slightly different name during the Great War, before joining the Royal Navy in August 1919. He saw continuous service through the 1920’s and 1930’s, and received his Royal Navy long service medal when aboard the light cruiser Ceres. Pensioned on the outbreak of the Second World War, he then saw eventful service through to 1 June 1940 aboard the destroyer flotilla leader Keith. This vessel was initially with Western Approaches Command for anti-submarine patrols, but having escorted the British Expeditionary Force to France, she then transferred to the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich as its flotilla leader. On 10 May 1940 when the Germans launched their invasion of France and the Low Countries, Keith was one of those vessels that escorted the Dutch bullion to the United Kingdom for safe-keeping, and from two days later she returned to the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands to evacuate Allied troops. On 21 May, Keith was one of three destroyers that evacuated 468 civilians from France. Two days later the ship was in Boulogne-sur-Mer, loading British troops to be evacuated, when she was attacked by German troops. She was hit by a mortar bomb and machine gun fire that killed her captain and wounded many others. On the night of 30/31 May, the ship joined Operation Dynamo when she helped to evacuate 992 Allied troops from Dunkirk to Dover. She returned in the morning to De Panne and became flagship of Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker, commander of the evacuation. The ship was attacked by aircraft later that morning; a first attack damaged her steering gear, and a later attack sent a bomb down the aft funnel which exploded in the No. 2 boiler room, killing everyone inside and starting a fire. With no power available, she anchored and the abandon ship command was ordered. Keith sank at 09:45 on 1 June 1940. Three officers and 33 ratings were killed during the attacks, and eight officers and 123 crewmen were saved. One of those saved was Chief Stoker Jewson. From December 1940 through to May 1945 he was aboard the patrol sloop Kittiwake and was awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished war services in the King’s Birthday Honours List, gazetted on 12 June 1943. He latterly lived at Minster-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.
Group of 6: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (C-6651 PTE. J.A. JEWSON. K.R.R.C.); 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Coinage bust; (K.58398 A. J. JEWSON. S.P.O. H.M.S. CERES.), first two and last mounted swing style as worn. Second World War meals are together with the Director of Navy Accounts card box of issue, this bearing recipient’s service number on the side ‘K.58398’, and addressed to: ‘Mr. A.J. Jewson, 4, Harpe Avenue, Minster-on-Sea, Sheppey, Sheerness, Kent’.
Condition: last with official correction in areas of his initials, otherwise some contact wear and light polishing, Very Fine.
Together with the Royal Navy parchment Certificate of Service, issued in the name of Alfred James Jewson, and confirming his previous service of 1 year and 355 days in the British Army.
Also three original Great War period dog tags, on stamped: ‘C/6651 J.A. JEWSON. K.R.RIF.C C.E’, the other two both stamped: ‘J. JEWSON. KRR 6651 CE’.
Tunic medal ribbons bars: one with Great War and long service entitlement, the other a Second World War worn one, this with Great War, 1939-1943 Star, Long Service and Mention in Despatches emblem all affixed to black cloth background.
Alfred James Jewson was born on 3 July 1899 in South Norwood, Croydon, Surrey, and saw service during the Great War in the British Army under the name of James Alfred Jewson, and serving as a Rifleman (No.C-6651) with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and was present out on the Western Front with the 16th (Service) Battalion (Church Lads Brigade), otherwise known as ’The Churchmen’s Battalion’. In all, Jewson would serve for one year and 355 days in the army prior to his discharge.
He then joined the Royal Navy under his correct name, as an Acting Stoker 1st Class (Chatham No.K.58398) with Pembroke from 22 August 1919, and was then confirmed as a Stoker 1st Class whilst with the light cruiser Lowestoft on 7 October 1920. Present aboard a destroyer when serving out of the depot ship Columbine when advanced to Acting Leading Stoker on 4 December 1923, and was aboard the battlecruiser Repulse when he was confirmed as a Leading Stoker on 1 January 1925. Jewson was with the aircraft carrier Hermes when he was advanced to acting Stoker Petty Officer on 15 December 1927, and was then with Egmont II and aboard the destroyer Wild Swan when he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer on 15 December 1928. and was then with the light cruiser Ceres when he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal at sometime between May 1932 and July 1934, his previous army service having been allowed to count towards the award. Jewson was promoted to Chief Stoker whilst with the battleship Ramillies on 2 August 1934.
Jewson who was latterly aboard the destroyer flotilla leader Keith, was officially pensioned on 31 August 1939, but remained in service owing to the imminent outbreak of the Second World War and the German invasion of Poland, and on 1 September 1939 is shown with Pembroke IV and on service aboard Keith, serving with the 17th Destroyer Flotilla in the Home Fleet. On 3 September, she was transferred to Western Approaches Command for anti-submarine patrols, based at Milford Haven. On 10 September, Keith escorted a convoy carrying the British Expeditionary Force to France. On 29 October she was transferred to the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich and became its flotilla leader five days later. In December, Keith had repairs made to her propellers at HM Dockyard Devonport that lasted until 10 January 1940. She was transferred to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla in February and Keith escorted her sister Boadicea on 5 March as she towed the damaged oil tanker John F. Meyer to Southampton. The ship resumed her escort and patrol duties until May when the Germans attacked.
On 10 May 1940, the Germans launched their invasion of France and the Low Countries. That day Keith and her sister Boreas escorted the light cruisers Arethusa and Galatea as they carried bullion from the Dutch port of Ijmuiden to the United Kingdom for safe-keeping. On 12 May, she returned to the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands to evacuate Allied troops. After the destroyer Whitley had to be run aground on 19 May after she was damaged by German aircraft, she was scuttled by Keith. On 21 May, Keith was one of three destroyers that evacuated 468 civilians from France. Two days later the ship was in Boulogne-sur-Mer, loading British troops to be evacuated, when she was attacked by German troops. She was hit by a mortar bomb and machine gun fire that killed her captain and wounded many others. Keith sailed for the UK immediately afterwards.
On the night of 30/31 May, the ship joined Operation Dynamo when she helped to evacuate 992 Allied troops from Dunkirk to Dover. She returned in the morning to De Panne and became flagship of Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker, commander of the evacuation. The ship was attacked by aircraft later that morning; a first attack damaged her steering gear, and a later attack sent a bomb down the aft funnel which exploded in the No. 2 boiler room, killing everyone inside and starting a fire. With no power available, she anchored and the abandon ship command was ordered. Keith sank at 09:45 on 1 June 1940. Three officers and 33 ratings were killed during the attacks, and eight officers and 123 crewmen were saved.
Amongst those saved was Chief Stoker Jewson, who appears to have then been brought to the United Kingdom aboard the cargo vessel S.S. Argoe Hill. Posted to Pembroke from 2 June 1940, he next saw service afloat when aboard the patrol sloop Kittiwake from 20 December 1940, and he would remain continuously employed with her until late May 1945. From February 1941 this vessel operated continuously from Harwich when working under the base establishment Badger, and patrolled the local waters of the North Sea.
Jewson was awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished war services in the King’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 12 June 1943. Jewson was posted back to Pembroke from 30 May 1945, and was latterly with the stoker training establishment Wildfire from 27 June 1945, being released from service on 25 September 1945. He latterly lived at Minster-on-Sea, Sheppey, Sheerness, Kent.
