TOPIC:

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

Egypt, dated reverse (1) Alexandria 11th July (W. J. Kittow. Ord: H.M.S. “Monarch.”);
QSA (0) (Gunr. W. J. Kitts, RN, H.M.S. Magicienne.);
AGS 1902 (1) Jubaland (Gunr. W. J. Kitto, R.N., H.M.S. Magicienne.);
British War Medal 1914-20 (Lieut. W. J. Kitto. R.N.);
Royal Navy LS&GC VR (W. J. Kitts, P.O. 1st Cl., H.M.S. Defiance.) impressed naming;
Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued,

William James Kitto was born in Gorran, Cornwall, in June 1863. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in October 1879, and advanced to Ordinary Seaman in July 1881. Kitto served with H.M.S. Monarch from March 1882 to April 1885. He advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class in July 1889, and was commissioned Gunner (Torpedo) in March 1893. Kitto subsequently served with HMS Magicienne during the Second Boer War and Jubaland operations. Kitto was one of the Royal Navy men who landed at Kismayu to the supplement the garrison there, and was thanked for his services against the Ogaden Somalis. He advanced to Chief Gunner in April 1910, and to Lieutenant in June 1912. Kitto was appointed to Actæon to qualify for the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps 4 July 1912, and served in a Staff Capacity for the entirety of the Great War. He retired Lieutenant Commander in June 1920, and died in August 1940.

Pictures courtesy of Charterhouse

QSA (0) (W C Jones AB HMS Magicienne);
AGS 1902 (1) Jubaland (W C Jones AB HMS Magicienne)

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

DSO GV;
QSA (0) (Lieut. A. Hambly R.N. H.M.S. Magicienne;
AGS 1902 (1) Jubaland (Lieut. A. Hambly, R.N. H.M.S. Magicienne.);
1914-15 Star (Commr. A. Hambly, R.N.);
British War and Victory Medals, with MID (Commr. A. Hambly. R.N.);
Defence Medal

Together with Granton Naval Base Medal for Zeal, silver, hallmarked Birmingham 1916, the reverse inscribed ‘Commander A. Hambly. R.N. Granton Naval Base C. of E. 1916-17’.

DSO London Gazette 6 April 1918: ‘In recognition of services in vessels of the Auxiliary Patrol between 1 January and 31 December 1917.’ The original recommendation states:

‘For meritorious service over two and a half years when he was instrumental in starting the armed patrol under Captain Bach. Whilst engaged on patrol duties he has on several occasions driven hostile submarines away from ships. On 12 September 1916 and 18 February 1917, a torpedo was fired at Goissa both times missing the yacht by a few feet. He has acted as Chief of Staff to Captain Warburgh then in command of anti-submarine operations in the North Sea. He has supported me in a loyal and capable way as Executive Officer of this Base.’

Andrew Hambly was born at Plymouth in 1867 and first went to sea in the Mercantile Marine, gaining his Second Mate’s Certificate in August 1887. Having then joined the Royal Naval Reserve in July 1893, he was appointed a Sub Lieutenant in September 1891 and advanced to Lieutenant in October 1895. He was, moreover, among one hundred RNR Lieutenants invited to accept a commission in the Royal Navy on the Supplementary List in the latter year and was duly appointed to the battleship HMS Magnificent in October 1895.

In November 1897, he removed to the Magicienne on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa stations, in which capacity he saw active service off South Africa during the Boer War. Likewise, in the Jubaland operations of November 1899 to April 1900, when he was landed with the Naval Brigade at Kismayu on the Juba River and participated in the expedition against the Ogaden Somalis. When the latter surrendered in February 1900, the Naval Brigade was re-embarked and sailed for Zanzibar, but Magicienne returned to Kismayu in mid-April and landed 25 bluejackets under Hambly to assist the local garrison; 225 Medals with the ‘Jubaland’ clasp were subsequently issued to R.N. and R.M. personnel, 16 of them to officers.

On his return home, Hambly became dissatisfied with a lack of seagoing appointments and, at his own request, was placed on the Retired List as a Commander in August 1912. He was likely therefore equally dissatisfied on his recall in August 1914, when he was appointed Assistant King’s Harbour Master in Plymouth Sound.

Finally, however, he returned to sea in March 1915, when he was appointed to the command of armed patrol yacht Goissa in the Auxiliary Patrol, his brief also including command of ‘Unit 86’ at the Granton base Gunner, namely a force of six trawlers and several motor boats fitted out for minesweeping. Between January and May 1917, the unit was engaged in numerous anti-submarine patrols and minesweeping operations off the Firth of Forth.

Then in May 1917 he was appointed Executive Officer of Gunner, in which post he was instrumental in bringing the ships and men under his command to a high state of readiness. Nor was he a desk bound executive officer, for he regularly accompanied his men to sea. He was awarded the D.S.O., in addition to Granton’s Medal for Zeal, which was presented to him by Admiral Sir Frederick Hamilto in July 1917.

Hambly, who reverted to the Retired List in the rank of Captain in March 1919, died in September 1956.