NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL.
(PERSIAN GULF 1909-1914) HMS FOX
& MESSINA EARTHQUAKE MEDAL (HMS EXMOUTH)
To.
225186 W. GILLETT. A.B. HMS FOX.
KILLED IN ACTION 31st MAY 1916, JUTLAND
[BIOGRAPHY]
William Gillett was born at Marnhull, Sturminster-Newton , Dorset on 24th October 1885. He joined the Royal Navy on 24th October 1903. He served on various ships, including the cruiser HMS Fox, HMS Exmouth and finally HMS BLACK PRINCE in which he was lost on 31st May 1916
An excellent pair of medals to a man who was sadly lost in one of the most famous actions in the history of the Royal Navy.
There were no survivors from the crew of HMS BLACK PRINCE with all 857 men being killed.
[HMS BLACK PRINCE]
The ship participated in the Battle of Jutland where she was sunk with heavy loss of life. The circumstances under which she sank were mysterious for some years after. As the British had lost contact and did not see the ship destroyed, they were unsure as to whether a submarine or surface ship was responsible for sinking Black Prince. During the battle, the 1st Cruiser Squadron was deployed as part of a screening force several miles ahead of the main force of the Grand Fleet, but Black Prince lost contact with the rest of the Squadron as it came into contact with German forces, at about 17:42. Soon after, two other members of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, Defence & Warrior, were heavily engaged by German battleships and battlecruisers, with Defence blowing up and Warrior receiving heavy damage, which later caused her to sink.
There were no positive sightings of Black Prince by the British fleet after that, although a wireless signal from her was received at 20:45, reporting a submarine sighting.
During the night of 31 May–1 June, the British destroyer Spitfire , badly damaged after colliding with the German battleship Nassau, sighted what appeared to be a German battlecruiser, with two widely spaced funnels, described as being "...a mass of fire from foremast to mainmast, on deck and between decks. Flames were issuing out of her from every corner."
This mystery ship exploded at about midnight. It was later thought that the burning ship may have been Black Prince, with the two midships funnels having collapsed or been shot away.
Recent historians, however, hold to the German account of the ship's sinking. Black Prince briefly engaged the German battleship Rheinland at about 23:35 GMT, scoring two hits with 6-inch shells.Separated from the rest of the British fleet, Black Prince approached the German lines shortly after midnight. She turned away from the German battleships, but it was too late.
The German battleship Thuringen fixed Black Prince in her searchlights and opened fire. Up to five other German ships, including the battleships Nassau, Ostfriesland , and Friedrich der Grosse , joined in the bombardment, with return fire from Black Prince being ineffective. Most of the German ships were between 750 and 1,500 yards of Black Prince which was effectively point blank range for contemporary naval gunnery. The ship was hit by at least twelve heavy shells and several smaller ones and sank within 15 minutes.
An historic and important pair of medals. With full service sheet Also entitled to a 1914-15 trio.
CURRENTLY RESEARCHING