War Medals

J.37132 RALPH JOHNSON, BOY 1ST.CLASS, ROYAL NAVY KILLED IN ACTION AT JUTLAND, SERVING IN HMS. 'BARHAM'

1914-15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (J.37132 Boy 1 RN.) : (RALPH JOHNSON - Born 1 September 1898 at St. Helens, Lancashire, a moulders labourer by trade when he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2, in HMS. 'Powerful' on 23 March 1915,. Advanced to Boy 1 from 27 June 1915 and transferred to HMS.'Victory 1' from 3 July of the same year. Transferred to the Battleship HMS. 'Barham' from 19 August 1915 and was still serving in that ship when it went into action at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. During the battle 'Barham' while making a turn at approximately 16.58hrs, was hit by two 30.5 centimetre shells, probably fired by the Battlecruiser SMS.'Derfflinger'. The first of these hit the ship's upper deck before detonating upon striking the main deck above the medical store compartment, which was completely destroyed. The detonation blew a seven foot hole in the main deck, sent fragments through the middle and lower decks and burned out the casement for the starboard No.2 six-inch gun. Three minutes later another shell hit the aft superstructure , severing the antenna cables of the main wireless station. One fragment ricocheted off the upper deck and through the plating on the opposite side of the ship. Either the first or fourth of these shells destroyed the ship's sickbay, killing the staff and all of it's patients, including eight SHIP'S BOYS. The recipient was one of the Boys killed and was the son of Benjamin Johnson of 6 Court Street, Edmund's Street, Leek, Staffordshire, he was just seventeen years of age at the date of his death. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial.). Sold with verification, copy Service Record, copy Casualty Roll, copy CWGC. information and other related research. Medals mounted on long lengths of original silk ribbon NEF - £625