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Picture courtesy of DNW

E&W Africa 1887 (1) Benin River 1894 (H. Rowe, A.B., HMS Philomel.);
QSA (0) (H. Rowe, P.O. 1st Cl: HMS Doris);
BWM 1914-20 (138443 H. Rowe. P.O. R.N.)
] LS&GC ]

Henry Andrews was born in St Andrews, Devon, on 2 December 1870 and entered naval service on 6 September 1886 as a Boy 2nd Class in HMS Impregnable. Promoted Able Seaman on 9 September 1890, he served as such in HMS Philomel from 10 November 1891 to 30 November 1894 and in HMS Doris from 18 November 1897, latterly as a Petty Officer 1st Class, to which rate he was promoted on 1 October 1899. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 15 February 1902, and spent most of the Great War at the shore base HMS Vivid.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (1) Cape Colony (E. J. Harris. A.B. HMS Doris);
1914-15 Star (190741, E. J. Harris, Act. C.P.O., R.N.);
BWM and VM (190741 E. J. Harris. C.P.O. R.N.);
Royal Navy LS&GC GV, 1st issue (190741 E. J. Harris, P.O. HMS Hood:)

Ernest James Harris was born on 9 February 1879 in Torquay, Devon, and entered naval service on 18 September 1896. He served in HMS Doris from 18 November 1897 to 31 May 1901, having quickly seen promotion to Able Seaman in 1898. Awarded his LS&GC in HMS Hood in 1912, he served on HMS Tiger for most of the Great War.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (H. J. [sic] Cousins, Ord: H.M.S. Doris) small impressed naming;
China (0) (H. G. Cousins, Ord., H.M.S. Redpole.) large impressed naming,

Approximately 346 no clasp Queen’s South Africa Medals awarded to HMS Doris.

Approximately 72 no clasp China Medals awarded to HMS Redpole.

Henry George Cousin was born in Marylebone, London, on 3 November 1881, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 29 January 1898. He served in HMS Doris from 3 to 20 November 1899 during the initial stages of the Boer War, and then in HMS Terrible from 21 November 1899. Joining HMS Redpole on 21 November 1900, he saw further service during the Third China War, and died of asphyxia on 6 August 1901.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (H. J. Hobbs, Qd: Sig: HMS Doris.);
1914-15 Star (185667 H. J. Hobbs, Y.S., R.N.);
BWM and VM (185667 H. J. Hobbs. Y.S. R.N)

Horace John Hobbs was born in King’s Norton, Worcestershire, on 26 April 1880 and enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 28 September 1895, serving in HMS Doris during the Boer War.

Advanced Yeoman of Signals on 15 February 1914, his Great War service included service in HMS Lion at the First Battle of Heligoland Bight; in HMS Southampton at the Battle of Dogger Bank; and in HMS Nottingham at the Battle of Jutland, shortly before she was sunk on 19 August 1916 after being hit by three torpedoes from U-52, with the loss of 38 lives. He saw later war service in HMS Glorious and HMS Galatea.

He was shore pensioned on 17 August 1920, before joining the Royal Fleet Reserve.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein (127134 A.B: F. Mitchell, H.M.S. Doris)

Frederick Mitchell was born on 25 February 1869 in Hardwick, Birmingham, and signed on for 10 years with the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday having seen several years service already as a Boy 2nd - and then 1st - Class. Giving his trade as 'Baker' and with a 'heart tattoo on right arm', his adult service included several stints in the cells for periods between three and 14 days.

Joining the Eclipse-class cruiser H.M.S. Doris in November 1897, he was with her for the whole of her fairly prominent role in the Second Boer War: not only was she commanded by the infamous Captain Reginald Charles Prothero ('Prothero the Bad') - a man of violent temper and few good words for either officers or crew - but she was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Harris, C-in-C Cape of Good Hope Station. At least one of H.M.S. Doris's Q.F. 4.7-in. guns, mounted on an improvised field carriage, was used in the field during the campaign and carried the affectionate nickname 'Joe Chamberlain'; undoubtedly Able Seaman Mitchell accompanied 'Joe' ashore and saw much active service.

Post-war Mitchell remained in the Royal Navy and, despite earlier misdemeanours, when he was Pensioned ashore in October 1908 he had reached the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class and his character was assessed as 'Very Good'.

Picture courtesy of DNW

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, CBE (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with full neck riband;
DSO GV;
QSA (1) Cape Colony (Midn. R. N. Suter, R.N. HMS Doris) engraved naming;
NGS 1915 (1) Persian Gulf 1909-14 (Lieut. Commr. R. N. Suter, R.N. HMS Swiftsure.);
1914-15 Star (Commr. R. N. Suter, R.N.);
BWM and VM with MID oak leaves (Commr. R. N. Suter. R.N.);
1939-45 Star;
Africa Star;
Defence and War Medals 1939-45;
Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Military Division, Second Class neck badge, with swords, by Eduard, St. Petersburg, 54mm, gold and enamel;
Czechoslovakia, Republic, War Cross 1939, bronze

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002.

CBE LG 1 January 1944: ‘For services as Divisional Sea Transport Officer at Greenock.’

DSO LG 7 August 1918: ‘In recognition of the zeal and ability displayed by him as Flag Commander to the Rear-Admiral, Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia, from June 1917 to May 1918. Lieutenant-Commander Suter has served in the trying climate of this station for five years, and took part in many actions whilst in command of HMS Lawrence.’

Czech War Cross LG 15 September 1942: Awarded for services as Divisional Sea Transport Officer at Marseilles during the evacuation of Czech forces from France in 1940.

Roy Neville Suter was born in 1884 and first saw active service as a Midshipman in HMS Doris’s Naval Brigade during the Boer War. In May 1902 he was appointed to HMS Hazard at Barrow in Furness for Torpedo ‘duties in connection with submarine boats’, and presumably took part in the early sea trials of the original Holland Class submarines, first launched in November 1901.

Suter saw service in the Persian Gulf whilst Lieutenant-Commander of HMS Swiftsure from April 1913 until November 1914, when he took command of HMS Lawrence on the same station. He was ‘Mentioned in report of S.N.O. Persian Gulf, for coolness and skill in handling his ship in difficult conditions of unsurveyed waters under fire at capture of Qurnah [Kurnah], December 1914’. He remained in command of HMS Lawrence until August 1918, during which time he took part in the Kurnah operations in December 1914, and landed at Bushire with the Indian Expeditionary Force in August 1915. During 1917-18 whilst still in command of Lawrence, Suter served on the Staff of Rear-Admiral, Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia, and from August 1918 until July 1919 he was in command of the flower-class sloop HMS Ceanothus. In October 1919 he was appointed to the Staff of Captain C. A. Freemantle, as Naval Liaison Officer with the British Military Mission in South Russia, and was awarded the Order of St. Anne 2nd Class with swords.

In the post-war years Suter commanded various ships, including H.M. Ships Lupin, Calliope, Caledon, and Concord. In 1926 the Air Council ‘expressed appreciation for assistance with ground survey of Persian Gulf section of Egypt-India air route.’ He retired as Captain on 1 April 1930 but was recalled to serve as Sea Transport Officer in charge, Egypt, 1933-36. In 1938 he was permitted to accept employment under the International Council for Non-Intervention in Spain, and authorised to proceed abroad as necessary. He was appointed Divisional Sea Transport Officer at Marseilles in January 1940, and in June 1944 he was appointed Principal Sea Transport Officer, South East Coast. He died on the Isle of Wight on 10 June 1958.