WW1 Pair to Trimmer/Cook John Cloice Harvey RNR.

[timjonheath@gmail.com]

Nice WW1 pair of medals of the WW1 War Medal and Mercantile Marine Medal to 567 Trimmer/Cook John Cloice Harvey of the Royal Naval Reserve born in Deptford, London on 27th October 1866 to John and Ellen Harvey. From research we know that John chose the seafaring life as a fisherman and when WW1 broke out he enlisted into the Royal Naval Reserve. He was the Trimmer/Cook aboard the HM Net Drifter "Boy Harold". The Boy Harold was basically a coal fuelled steam powered fishing boat which had been requisitioned by the Royal Navy and then modified to take a 3-inch calibre Anti Submarine gun plus depth charges. These Net Drifters were employed into the mine sweeping role and also to patrol the Anti Submarine netting put in place by the Royal Navy. John Harvey's job as Trimmer/Cook means he would have been one of the guys shovelling coal to the boilers and preparing meals for the other six crewmen. A Trimmers job was extremely hard and unpleasant work and most of these men employed into the RNR in WW1 were senior citizens some aged 50 plus and hardened seafarers well accustomed to life on the ocean. The Boy Harold left port in Devon in February of 1916 and set course for the Mediterranean where the boat was to conduct Anti Submarine operations and check Anti Submarine netting. Prior to the Boy Harold's arrival in the Mediterranean the German submarine UC-12 under the command of Eberhard Frohner had been in the area sowing mines. At an unspecified time on the 3rd March 1916 the Boy Harold struck one of these mines, there was a huge explosion and the Boy Harold was blown up with the loss of all seven crew. The wreckage of the boat lies undisturbed to this day in 800-4,000 feet of water off Brindisi in the Adriatic. John Harvey's parents and his two brothers and three sisters were soon notified of Johns loss. They would have no grave to visit but later received Johns two WW1 medals along with a letter of condolences. John received the WW1 War Medal and the WW1 Mercantile Marine Medal. 133,000 MMM's were awarded which makes it much scarcer than the other WW1 awards. The recipient had to apply for this medal in order to get it and it is believed many just couldn't be bothered to apply for it. John Cloice Harvey being a casualty of the war was automatically awarded the medal and it was sent to his next of kin. These two medals cast particularly long shadows-they have never been worn and it is possible that Johns family just put them away out of sight. Xmas 2015 this was one of the surprise presents from my Paula and I have so much respect for these two medals. I am still conducting research into this pair and can make update once it is complete. Regards Tim.