The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals

Family group: Three: Able Seaman C. W. J. H. Coysh, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Reserve, who was present aboard H.M.S. Mersey at the Battle of the Yser, October 1914, and also the following year at the destruction of the Königsberg during the Battle of the Rufiji Delta in German East Africa, July 1915 1914-15 Star (192622, C. W. J. H. Coysh, A.B., R.N.); British War Medal 1914-20 (192622 C. W. J. H. Coysh. A.B. R.N.); London Fire Brigade Good Service Medal, 1st type (Fireman C. W. J. H. Coysh.); together with an H.M.S. St. Vincent swimming medal, inscribed to the reverse ’Obstacle Race 1st.’, very fine Three: Able Seaman C. A. G. Coysh, Royal Navy, who was lost overboard from H.M.S. Kelvin on 23 April 1941 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure in card box of issue addressed to, ‘Mr. C. W. Coysh, 106 Kennington Rd., Southend on Sea, Essex.’ extremely fine (7) £200-£240 --- Charles William Joseph Henry Coysh was born in 1880 at St. John’s Wood, London and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1897 advancing to Ordinary Seaman in September 1899 and Leading Seaman in July 1902. He joined the Royal Fleet Reserve, Chatham in June 1903 and re-enrolled in September 1907 for five years from June 1908. Recalled following the outbreak of war in August 1914, Coysh served from 6 October 1914 until 1 January 1918 in the Humber-class monitor H.M.S. Mersey and was present at two prominent incidents. Firstly, stationed off the Belgian Coast for 4 months at the start of the war, he was present at the Battle of the Yser in October 1914, when Mersey bombarded German troops as well as artillery positions. Secondly in July 1915, Mersey participated in the Battle of the Rufiji Delta. On this occasion she was towed to the Rufiji River delta in German East Africa, where she and Severn then assisted in the destruction of the blockaded German light cruiser, Königsberg. The most powerful German ship in the Indian Ocean, Königsberg had suffered an engine failure following her sinking of the British cruiser H.M.S. Pegasus and had taken refuge in the Rufiji Delta whilst awaiting supplies to be transported overland from Dar es Salaam for repairs. Upstream and out of range of the larger British cruisers, several attempts were made to sink Königsberg before finally the shallow draught monitors, Mersey and Severn were handed the task. Stripped of non-essential items and fortified with additional armour, they ran the gauntlet under cover of a full bombardment from the rest of the fleet. With the help of shore based spotters and four land aircraft, two Caudrons and two Henry Farmans, based at Mafia Island also acting as forward observers, they proceeded to engage in a long-range duel with Königsberg. On the first day Mersey was hit and the monitors were unable to score, but they returned again on 11 July and finally their 6 inch guns found the range and succeeded in reducing Königsberg to a wreck. At around 2pm, Königsberg’s captain, Max Looff, ordered her scuttled with a torpedo. Coysh served on the German East Africa station for 3 years and was demobilised on 3 April 1918. He was awarded a Silver War Badge and later rejoined the London Fire Brigade. He died at Southend-on-Sea in 1963. Charles Alfred George Coysh was born in 1922 at Brixton, London and served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He was lost overboard and drowned on 23 April 1941 whilst serving in H.M.S. Kelvin in the Mediterranean. Earlier, in September 1940, as part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Kelvin had scuttled H.M.S. Ivanhoe, which had struck a mine off Texel and in October 1940 she served as part of the escort for the battleship H.M.S. Revenge at the shelling of Cherbourg. Under Admiral James Somerville, she was engaged at the Battle of Cape Spartivento on 27 November 1940, and she was involved in numerous actions in the Mediterranean over the next two years. Coysh is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.