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HMS Partridge served between October 1899 and June 1902. Commanded by Lieutenant A T Hunt and Lieutenant E la T Leatham.


Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (F. Walters, A.B., HMS Partridge.) small impressed naming;
1914-15 Star (192074 F. J. Walters, A.B., R.N.);
BWM and VM (192074. F. J. Walters. A.B. R.N.);
Royal Navy LS&GC GV, 1st issue (192074. F. J. Walters, A.B. HMS Vengeance.)

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (W. Phillips, A.B., HMS Partridge);
1914-15 Star (164794, W. Phillips, P.O.1., R.N.);
BWM and VM (164794 W. Phillips. P.O. 1 R.N.)

Walter Phillips was born in Southwark, London, on 1 November 1876 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 13 January 1892. Advanced Able Seaman on 21 May 1896, he served in HMS Partridge from 4 May 1899 to 12 May 1902, and was advanced Petty Officer First Class on 17 February 1910.

He served during the Great War predominantly in HMS Lord Nelson, and was shore discharged from HMS Boadicea on 2 May 1919.

He did not qualify for a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Picture courtesy of the London Medal Company

QSA (0) (G.C. KNIGHT. LG. STO. H.M.S. PARTRIDGE);
1914-1915 Star; (169228. G.C. KNIGHT. CH. STO., R.N.);
British War Medal and Victory Medal; (169228 G.C. KNIGHT. CH.STO. R.N.)

George Charles Knight was born on 3rd June 1873 in Limehouse, London, and having worked as a labourer, then joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (Chatham No.169228) with Pembroke from 21st September 1892, being rated as a Stoker whilst with Hood on 19th November 1893, and as a Leading Stoker 2nd Class whilst with Pembroke II on 6th October 1898.

Knight joined the gun boat Partridge from 4th May 1899. As such he saw service aboard her during the operations on and off the coast of South Africa during the Boer War when she was commanded by Lieutenant A T Hunt and later Lieutenant E la T Leatham. Partridge was present on operations between 11th October 1899 and 8th March 1901. In all 161 men from Partridge were entitled to the medal, of which 150 gained it without clasp, Knight being one of those, he having been also advanced to Leading Stoker 1st Class on 10th July 1900.

Knight was serving aboard Empress of India when he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer on 1st July 1906, and having been awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 13th November 1907, whilst with Pyramus, he was also appointed to Acting Chief Stoker whilst with Pyramus on 1st August 1908, being then promoted to Chief Stoker whilst with Theseus on 1st August 1910. Knight was serving aboard the light cruiser Gloucester when he was presented with a medal by His Majesty the King of the Belgian’s ‘on the occasion of his visit to the ship’ on 15th August 1912, at which time the ship was serving with the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet. It is uncertain which specific medal was presented to Knight and it is not with the group.

With the outbreak of the Great War, Knight was serving with Vivid II, and having transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve (No.Dev.A.4964), then joined the cruiser Diana from 1st January 1915, which was then based with the 12th Cruiser Squadron in the Channel. In November 1915 Diana transferred to the China Station and serving there through to August 1917, before transferring to the Red Sea, with Knight being posted back to Vivid II from 28th September 1917, and then joining the destroyer Napier from 31st January 1918, followed by the depot ship Vulcan from February 1919. He was demobilised ashore on 12th January 1920.

£475.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (0) (A. F. Evans, Sig. HMS Partridge);
BWM and VM (197359 A. F. Evans. Y.S. R.N.);
Royal Fleet Reserve LS&GC GV, 1st issue (197359 Ch. 1.C. 273 A. F. Evans. Y.S. R.F.R.)

Alfred Francis Evans was born at Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire, on 14 March 1882. He enlisted as a schoolboy on 15 January 1898 and saw service in HMS Partridge off South Africa, earning the QSA.

He was invalided out of the service on 4 March 1909, and enrolled in Chatham R.N.R. on 28 August 1909. Recalled to service in July 1914, he subsequently saw service as Leading Signalman in Warrior, Marlborough, Biaritz and the Armed Merchant Cruiser Himalaya, in which ship he was advanced to Yeoman of Signals on 20 April 1917. He was invalided from the service on 8 April 1919.

An accidental find in the Library of Congress website:



The photograph shows HMS Partridge taking part in the International Naval Review which was part of the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing in the New World. The Naval Review was actually held on the eastern seaboard of the USA and HMS Partridge was one of five ships chosen to represent the Royal Navy. She had been commissioned in December 1888 and was eventually sold by the Royal Navy in 1909. She was the fifth Royal Navy ship to bear the name and the sixth was sunk by a torpedo in WW1.

For details of her contribution to the Second Boer War see Rory's write-up on one of her crew members: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...n-the-boer-war#52849

Two other illustrations of her:

London Illustrated News 16 November 1901



London Illustrated News September 1904 - you might need a magnifying glass for this one - she is depicted in the roundel in the centre - the caption tells you what her mission was at the time of the Russo-Japanese War (Feb 1904 to Sep 1905).

Pictures courtesy of Noonan's

OBE (MIlitary, 1st, HM 1917);
QSA (1) Rhodesia (Art: Eng. F. G. Baker, R.N. H.M.S. Partridge) note second initial;
BWM (Eng. Lt. Cr. F. J. Baker. R.N.);
RN LS&GC VR, narrow suspension (F. J. Baker, E.R.A. 2nd Cl., H.M.S. Anson) impressed naming

Noonan's say Only 6 QSAs with clasp 'Rhodesia' awarded to the Royal Navy; all were awarded to Officers or Warrant Officers.

OBE (Military) London Gazette 16 September 1919: 'For valuable services at H.M. Dockyard, Sheerness'.

Frederick John Baker was born on 25 November 1862, at Rochester, Kent. Prior to joining the Royal Navy at Pembroke on 7 January 1884 he was employed as a turner and fitter. Not surprisingly he elected to join the Engineering Branch of the Royal Navy and became an Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Official No. 126,083. On leaving Pembroke having completed his basic training on 8 May 1884, he joined the receiving ship Victor Emannuel in Hong Kong. From this vessel he later joined the despatch vessel Vigilant on 24 June 1884. He was transferred to the gunboat Midge on 4 July 1884, and whilst in this ship he was advanced to Engine-Room Artificer 3rd Class on 7 January 1887. He returned to England in February 1889 and rejoined Pembroke. His next seagoing post was to the battleship Rodney which he joined on 14 May 1891.

He was advanced to Engine-Room Artificer 2nd Class on 2 February 1891 and awarded his second Good Conduct Badge on 3 February 1892. He paid off from Rodney on 27 May 1892, and rejoined Pembroke. He remained on shore until 12 September 1893 when he joined the battleship Anson. During the three years he served in this ship he was advanced to Chief Engine-Room Artificer on 13 November 1894. He was awarded his Long Service & Good Conduct medal under the ten year rule on 19 September 1894. He returned to Pembroke II in November 1896 and passed his examination for Artificer Engineer (Warrant Officer rank) on 27 January 1898, and was promoted to the rank with seniority of 1 April 1898.

As a Warrant Officer he was appointed in May 1899 to the gunboat Partridge, serving on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station. The Queen's South Africa Medal Roll shows that 3 Lieutenants, 1 Surgeon and 2 Warrant Officers landed at Beira on the instruction of their Commanding Officer and as a result were later able to claim the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasp 'Rhodesia'.

On leaving Partridge he was next appointed to the torpedo boat destroyer Hardy, which he joined on 29 September 1902. On promotion to Chief Artificer Engineer on 1 April 1903 he joined in April 1904 the cruiser Lancaster, serving on the Mediterranean Station. Whilst in this ship he was promoted to Engineer Lieutenant on April 1905. His next appointment on 17 June 1905, was to President where he was Assistant to the resident Naval Engineer Overseer Midland District. After three years in this post he was next appointed in October 1908 to the Zulu, torpedo boat destroyer building at Hawthom Leslie & Co., Newcastle upon Tyne.

In May 1909 he joined Orion, coast defence and depot ship for torpedo boat destroyers, Malta. In this post he was responsible for training Malta reserve stokers and for supervision of boats etc. He subsequently served aboard the battleship Ocean, Third Fleet at the Nore which he joined in March 1911, followed by Wildfire October 1911 for service with the Commander of the Sheerness Dockyard. On 28 April 1916 he was promoted to Engineer Lieutenant-Commander and remained in this post for the duration of World War I. He was placed on the Retired List in January 1920, and died circa 1942-43.

The roll from Partridge



And confirmation that clasp '17' is Rhodesia.