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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (0) (G. Billinghurst. Ldg: Sto: 1st Cl: H.M.S. Powerful)

George Billinghurst was born at Huxham, Devon on 2 July 1870 and enlisted as Stoker Class II on 3 July 1889. In this capacity he served with both Camperdown and Victoria, reaching maturity with the latter and being transferred away only two months before the deadly collision. Seeing further service with Sharpshooter he was Leading Stoker with Powerful from 8 June 1897.

It was in this capacity that he saw service during the Anglo-Boer War although he was not to be present for long, being posted to Vivid II on 9 June 1900. Advanced Chief Stoker there on 3 April 1902 he was to serve with a number of vessels including Hogue, Edgar and Leander before joining to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 9 July 1911.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1) Defence of Ladysmith (R. R. Hogg, Car: Cr: H.M.S. Powerful) impressed naming;
British War and Victory Medals (340625 R. R. Hogg. Cpr. 1. R.N.);
Royal Navy LS&GC Ed VII (340625 R. R. Hogg, Cooper, H.M.S. Latona.)

Robert Rutherford Hogg was born at Melrose, Scotland, on 20 February 1876; a carpenter by trade prior to joining the Royal Navy, he naturally enlisted as Carpenter’s Crew on 23 April 1895, and served in HMS Powerful from 8 June 1897 to 8 June 1900 (published transcription of medal roll gives entitlement to a no clasp Queen’s South Africa Medal; however, a contemporary newspaper account written by the recipient, dated 20 December 1899, states that he had been up at Ladysmith before he was sent back, and so perhaps he felt that he deserved the Defence of Ladysmith clasp as a result!).

Promoted Cooper on 16 February 1905, Hogg served in HMS Latona from 16 September 1909 to 8 April 1911, and was awarded his LS&GC Medal on 10 December 1910. He saw further service during the Great War in the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth from 8 March 1916 to 15 April 1919, and was shore demobilised on 16 December 1919.

ADM171/53p106, the empty 6th column is where clasps would be listed if earned.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (1) Defence of Ladysmith (167204 Sto: R. Notton, H.M.S. Powerful.)

Reginald Dutton was born at Burton-On-Trent on 6 March 1868, working as a blacksmith prior to enlisting with the Royal Navy on 21 June 1892 as Stoker Class II. He served on a number of vessels including Achilles, Trafalgar and Sharpshooter prior to the Anglo-Boer War. Posted to protected cruiser Powerful on 8 June 1897 with the rank of Stoker, he was present with her when the war began and was one of those selected to join the Naval Brigade providing heavy guns to the Army in the early months of the war.

They arrived at the last possible moment with Boer shells and rifle rounds landing around them as they unloaded the guns. Their heavy 4.7-inch guns were the best weapons the British defenders had to counter the Boer heavy guns, the British gun Lady Anne contested Long Tom for most of the siege, raising morale greatly.

Over 40 of the men of Powerful became casualties during the siege, a high number as the Boers only made two serious attempts to take the city by force. Much of the fighting was either raids or exchanges of artillery in which the men of the Naval Brigade were heavily engaged. When the city was relieved, the Naval Brigade returned to Powerful which itself returned to Britain on 11 April 1900. Dutton left the ship on 8 June that year and was posted to the cruiser H.M.S. Australia on 19 April 1901, he deserted from that ship in 1902. Found and returned to the ship he was later imprisoned by the civil power on 19 January 1903, it was decided that after he was released he was to be discharged.

Sold for a hammer price of GBP 1,700. Total GBP 2,108. R 48,570. AUD 4,030. NZD 4,450. CAD 3,640. USD 2,630. EUR 2,420

Pictures courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (1) Defence of Ladysmith (173178 A.B. L. Harmer, H.M.S. Powerful) officially engraved naming;
1914-15 Star (173178 L. Harmer, P.O. 1, R.N.);
British War and Victory Medals (173178 L. Harmer. C.P.O. R.N.);
Royal Victorian Medal, VR, bronze, unnamed as issued, suspension repaired above crown and no longer swivelling;
Royal Navy LS&GC Ed VII (173178 Leonard Harmer, P.O. 1Cl. H.M.S. Blenheim);
Russia, Empire, Medal of St George, Fourth Class, silver, the reverse officially numbered ‘1272854’, this lacking original ring suspension.

Together with the recipient’s City of Portsmouth Presentation Hunter Pocket Watch, silver case, continental hall marks, the outer front lid inscribed ‘Siege of Ladysmith, 118 Days, 1899-1900, L. Harmer, A.B., H.M.S. Powerful’, the Swiss made movement signed ‘S. Smith & Son, 9 Strand, London, Watchmakers to the Admiralty’; and the recipient’s Corporation of Lloyd’s Presentation silver Tobacco Box, by ‘H. & A.’, hallmarks for Birmingham 1899, the lid with engraved crest and ‘Lloyd’s’ above and the date ‘7 May 1900’ below, additionally inscribed ‘To L. Harmer A.B. H.M.S. Powerful’.



Leonard Harmer was born at Broadwater, Sussex, on 28 November 1877, and joined the Royal Navy on as a Boy Second Class in HMS Impregnable on 25 May 1893. He served in H.M.S. Powerful from 8 June 1897 to 8 June 1900, and was promoted Able Seaman on 21 April 1898. He served with Powerful’s Ladysmith Naval Brigade and was present throughout the defence of that town.

Advanced Petty Officer First Class on 15 September 1907, he was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in November 1910 whilst serving in HMS Blenheim.

During the Great War he served in a variety of ships ands shore based establishments, including in the destroyer HMS Sparrowhark at the battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916; Sparrowhawk was sunk during the action, but fortunately suffered very few casualties.

Awarded the Russian Medal of St George 4th Class for his services at Jutland, Harmer was advanced Chief Petty Officer on 1 August 1918, before being invalided out of the service in May 1920 suffering from a growth on his lower jaw.

Sold with a black cloth seaman’s cap with ‘H.M.S. Powerful’ tally, mothed but generally good for the period.

The lot to PO Harmer sold for a hammer price of GBP 3,600. Total GBP 4,637. R 102,920. AUD 8,670. NZD 9,590. CAD 8,000. USD 5,840. EUR 5,330