Description
1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medal, J27480 Signal Boy later Leading Signalman John Gore, Royal Navy. Signed up at 15 and was at Jutland a month after becoming of age.
During the 1930s he was stationed in New Zealand having been lent for service with the Royal New Zealand Navy, during that time he was serving on HMS Diomede,
Star officially impressed: “J.27480. J. Gore. Sig. Boy. R.N.”
Pair officially impressed: “J27480 J. Gore. Sig. R.N.”
Later earned the RN LSGC presented on 18th June 1933, whilst attached to the NZN.
Born in Portsmouth, Hants on 28th April 1898. Although period documents such as the 1901 Census recall him being just 1 year old at that time, having possibly nudged his age a further 2 years on entry into the Royal Hospital School, a look at the birth index in the area, recalls only one local “John Gore” born during April 1899 at Portsea Island.
Son of John Gore (1862-1914) and Elizabeth Hockey (1865-1894).
John was educated by the Royal Navy being a “Greenwich School Boy”, the boys of the Royal Hospital School at Greenwich only admitting children or grandchildren of Seafarers who had typically become orphaned, the school would train them for a life at sea free of charge.
His father was a long-time Royal Navy veteran, having served from 1887 – 1909 before retiring as Chief Stoker.
He is shown there on the 1911 Census recorded as a 12 year old schoolboy. Whilst away from his family, his father was Innkeeper of the Fir Tree in in Upham, Hampshire.
On 12th September 1913, now 15 years old and legal to enlist, he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class at HMS Ganges.
World War 1, was not far off, and after training at the Ganges he joined his first ship HMS Grafton, serving on board from 24th June 1914 until 27th November 1914 for service in the war, taking part in the Naval Blockade of Germany, before it was withdrawn as unsuitable for blockade work in the North Sea.
After returning back home, he would join a new ship, HMS Agincourt, serving on board for most of the war, from 9th March 1915 until 2nd January 1918.
During that time he began specialise in Signalling becoming “Signal Boy” on 18th July 1915, followed by him finally turning 18 and becoming Ordinary Signalman on 28th April 1916, followed by Signalman on 18th April 1917.
Barely a month later he was in action at the Battle of Jutland on 31st May – 1st June 1916.
Services of the ship at Jutland can be read below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Agincourt_(1913)#Service
He later served on HMS Erin from 3rd Jan 1918 – 18th March 1918, returning to the Agincourt from 20th March – 5th May 1918.
After the war ended he continued on in the Navy, becoming Leading Seaman on 1st December 1918, his records records service up until 1936, when he was finally invalided out of service on 17th June 1936, having spent over 20 years in the Royal Navy since the age of 15, he maintained a stellar record of service and added the Royal Naval LSGC to his medals being presented it on 20th June 1933, whilst still attached to the New Zealand Navy.
In some of the later years of his service, he was lent to the “NZN” at which point it was known as the “New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy”, from 13th October 1930 until 13th October 1933.
During that time he was stationed on HMS Diomede and the Philomel.
Rather unluckily for him, once he got there the Hawkes Bay Earthquake aka the Napier Earthquake struck the country on 3rd February 1931, the New Zealand Navy were commended for responding.
