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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).