A First War Naval Group To Commissioned Shipwright Sole

A First War Naval Group to Commissioned Shipwright Sole - 1914-15 Star (CARPR. J.C. SOLE, R.N.); British War Medal (WT. SHPT. J.C. SOLE. R.N.); and Victory Medal (WT. SHPT. J.C. SOLE. R.N.). Naming is officially impressed. Court-mounted, light contact, extremely fine. Accompanied by a duotang folder with his military biography and seven black and white ship photographs.   Footnote: John Cousins Sole was born October 26, 1868 and achieved the rank of Carpenter (Temporary) on April 21, 1901, then to the rank of Carpenter and named a Warrant Shipwright one year later, on April 21, 1902. His first posting was an overseas one, to the 8 Gun Twin Screw Cruiser H.M.S. Katoomba, 3rd Class, based in Australia, for the protection of Floating Trade in Australian waters, effective February 8, 1904. Five years later, he was posted to the 10 Gun Twin Screw Armoured Cruiser H.M.S. Antrim, as part of the Home Fleet based at the Nore, located at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, on April 6, 1909. While Sole was at H.M.S. Antrim, it was found that paint was missing from his paint stores. He was then ordered to pay part of the cost accordingly. Seventeen months later, he was posted to the 11 Gun Twin Screw Protected Cruiser H.M.S. Isis, as part of the Home Fleet at Devonport, on September 15, 1910, then transferred to the 14 Gun Twin Screw Armoured Cruiser H.M.S. Bacchante, as part of the 3rd Fleet based at the Nore, on March 4, 1912. In 1914, he was Court-Marshaled for being drunk and lost one year's seniority and dismissed his ship. During the First World War, Sole saw service on the Light Cruiser H.M.S. Skirmisher, the 6th Destroyer Flotilla Leader, and attached to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover, on February 14, 1914 and later, the 8th Destroyer Flotilla Leader based at Forth. On May 1, 1915 he was re-posted to the Battleship H.M.S. Centurion, as part of the 2nd Battleship Squadron of the Grand Fleet, which saw action at the Battle of Jutland, from May 31 to June 1, 1916, as part of the 1st Division of the Second Battleship Squadron. Post-War, he served with H.M.S. Vivid (late Cuckoo) at the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport effective January 1919, then posted to the Battleship H.M.S. Hercules at Portsmouth on April 18, 1919, before seeing his final posting, to the Devonport Dockyard on July 1, 1921, where he became a Commissioned Shipwright on October 16, 1920. Sole retired in 1923, at the age of 54. He was a resident of Keyham, Plymouth when he passed away on July 15, 1943, at the age of 74.