Description
East and West Africa Medal, bar 1891-2, E.M. Pratt, Ordinary Seaman, HMS Racer, Royal Navy, for the 1891 Gambia Expedition, only 89 clasps to ship.
Officially impressed: “E.M. Pratt. Ord., H.M.S. Racer”
Confirmed on the medal roll, which recalls the medal was issued to him on HMS Wildfire on 9th April 1894.
For his extra service in World War 1, he is entitled to the 1914-15 Star Trio.
The 1891-2 clasp to this medal, was awarded the expedition against the Chief Fodeh Cabbah in Gambia.
The London Evening Standard on 8th January 1892 reported the following about this ship in the campaign:
“A Telegram has been received at the Admiralty from Commander Royle, of her Majesty’s ship Racer, dated Bathurst, River Gambia, 6th January, reporting that a Naval Brigade, under his command, landed and made a night attack on the marauding chief Fodey Cabbah, at Marige. His town was destroyed but he managed to escape in the darkness. The only casualty on the British side was Pte Frank Johnson RMLI, severely wounded but is doing well.”
Ernest Maystone Pratt, earned this medal whilst he was an 18 year old Able Seaman on HMS Racer in the 1891-2, having gone on to complete a full 12 year contract, he left the service in 1903.
Although not before tackling a watch snatcher, “The strongly built, smart-looking Seaman” caught a thief who stole his friend’s watch and chain, so he “ran after him” “and snaffled him” giving him a beating until he gave up the goods, the thief then said in court, “You’re a big fellow, and mighty clever, no doubt I don’t know that you’d make such a fine show if…” before Ernest interrupted with: “Don’t talk like that, I’ve eaten better people than you.”
He would however rejoin as soon as possible with the outbreak of World War 1, although now over 40 years old, the experienced Sailor returned voluntarily to service and was assigned to the Seaplane Carrier Ark Royal.
He spent 3 years on the ship, first supporting the Anzac Landings on 25th April at Gallipoli, then remaining in the region to help aid the Gallipoli Campaign, before moving over to Salonika to help out the Brits fighting the Bulgarians, all whilst her Seaplanes worked on bombing and reconnaissance duties.
Ernest Maystone Pratt was born on 8th February 1873 in the village of Methwold, Norfolk.
The son of Henry and Georgina, being baptised in April at Feltwell.
First joined up at 16 years old as Boy 2nd Class on 24th March 1889, at HMS Impregnable, service number 148279
He became Boy 1st Class on 3rd April 1890 at HMS Lion followed by becoming of age and being appointed Able Seaman on 8th February 1891 also on the Lion.
Now 18 years old he signed a 12 year contract with the Royal Navy on 8th February 1891.
Shortly afterwards the newly minted Able Seaman Pratt was posted to HMS Racer where he would serve onboard from 21st April 1891 until 17th September 1892.
During this period he would earn this medal.
Afterwards he continued on to finish out his 12 years, serving on the Alecto, Wildfire (when issued medal in 1894), Ruby, Champion, Hawke, Ramillies and Amphitrite.
He would leave the navy on 7th February 1903.
However he was not yet done, with the outbreak of hostilities over 10 years into his retirement he would sign on once more.
He joined up on 16th November 1914 at HMS Pembroke I.
During the war he saw active service on HMS Ark Royal from 31st January 1915 until 3rd May 1918, a Seaplane Carrier that served in Gallipoli.
He finished out the war at HMS Pembroke I from 4th May 1918 until 11th February 1919, when he was demobilised.
Ernest found love later in life than most, marrying Ragna Cocker in Brentford in October 1932.
With the war over he could return back to retirement, he later died in Kingston, Surrey on 4th August 1933.
During later life he worked as a Confectioner, the Surrey Advertise, 12th August 1933 recalls:
“ARM BREAKS IN BED
A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was recorded at an inquest at Kingston on Monday, on Enrest Mayston Pratt, aged 60, a confectioner, of 24c Fairfield West, Kingston, who died in the Kingston and District Hospital 0 His wife said that in June, when turning over in bed, his left arm snapped. Dr P. Vernon Davies said an operation was performed on the arm, which was fractured as a result of deposits in the bone, consequent on an internal disease.”
Just before he left the Navy, the following amusing article was in the Nottingham Evening Post, 7th Jan 1903, titled “Seaman to the Rescue” recording “Ernest Pratt, a strongly built, smart looking seaman of his Majesty’s Ship Pembroke”:
“SAILOR TO THE RESCUE.
A LITTLE ARGUMENT IN COURT.
William Smith, 27, was indicted, at Clerkenwell Sessions, London, yesterday, for having stolen a watch chain and coin from the person of Frederick Webb, an engineer, in Bethnal Green-road, on Sunday night, December 14th.
Ernest Pratt, a strongly built, smart-looking seaman of his Majesty’s ship Pembroke, Chatham, said that he was in company with the prosecutor when the prisoner tried to “shark” his friend’s watch and chain.
The swivel broke, and he only got a piece of the chain and the medal. “I ran after him,” added the witness, “and ‘snaffled’ him, and he has at the present time the marks on his face.” (Loud laughter.) He forgot I was there; the poor fellow made a mistake. (Laughter.)
Counsel: And when you had thrown him on the ground and fallen on him, did he give you the coin?
Witness: Well, I had to bang him a bit first, and I told him that if he didn’t give it to me I should choke him. Then he gave it up.
Prisoner: You say I am the man who stole the medal?
Witness: Say it? I should think I did. Don’t you remember my grip? (Loud laughter.)
Prisoner (to witness): You’re a big fellow, and mighty clever, no doubt. I don’t know that you’d make such a fine show if—
Witness: Don’t talk like that. I’ve eaten better people than you. (Laughter.)
Smith was found guilty, and ordered eighteen months’ hard labour.”
The event was expanded on in the local Morning Leader, 7th Jan 1903:
“HIS AMUSING STORY OF THE CAPTURE OF A WATCH SNATCHER.
The value of the “handy man” ashore was proved yesterday at the Clerkenwell Sessions, where, owing to the prompt action of Ernest Pratt, seaman, of H.M.S. Pembroke, William Smith, 27, French polisher, was sentenced to 18 months’ hard labour for the theft of a coin and chain belonging to an engineer named Webb.
Pratt, a strongly-built, smart-looking young fellow, told how he and the prosecutor drove to Bethnal-green in a cab. “When we got out,” said the witness, “the prisoner tried to ‘shark’ my friend’s watch and chain. The swivel broke, and he only got a piece of the chain and a medal. He ran away. I ran after him, and ‘snaffled’ him, and there he is at the present time staring me in the face. He forgot I was there. The poor fellow made a mistake.”
Counsel: And when you had thrown him on the ground and fallen on him did he give you the coin?
Witness: Well, I had to bang him a bit first, and I told him that if he did not give it to me I should choke him.
The Prisoner: Didn’t you have a squabble with the cabman and refuse to pay?
Witness: Look here, he went away, and London cabmen don’t do that unless they have had their money.
The Prisoner: You’re a big fellow, and mighty clever, no doubt. I don’t know that you’d make such a fine show if—
The Witness: Don’t talk like that. I’ve eaten better people than you.”
WAR SERVICE ON SEAPLANE CARRIER HMS ARK ROYAL 1915-1918, GALLIPOLI AND SALONIKA CAMPAIGN.
During the war, he joined just in time to join the crew of HMS Ark Royal, which sailed to the Mediterranean to support the Gallipoli Campaign at this time.
Notably the ship sailed on 1st February 1915 and arrived at the Island of Tenedos on 17th Feb 1915. She then attempted to fly 3 of her Seaplanes to reconnoitre the Straits, but 2 of them had enginge troubles and the third ran into the typical issue of the time of the water being too calm.
Eventually they got a Wight Pusher off which discovered the nearby fortifications, it then dropped a single 20 pound bomb on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles returning back to the ship with 7 bullet holes in her.
Soon afterwards the famous “Anzac Landings” occurred on 25th April, during the day the Ark Royal’s planes provided support to the Australian and New Zealanders who landed in the ANZAC Cove.
2 days later on 27th April, the ship took fire from the Ottoman predreadnought Turgut Reis, firing across the peninsula, the Ark Royal had to move in a hurry to dodge the shot.
By May, the ship had to move, as the German Submarine U-21 had managed to sink 2 british ships in the region, moving over to Imbros. There the Ark Royal became a depot ship for all the seaplanes operating in the region, while her own aircraft continued to support the ground operations at Gallipoli.
Later on 1st November the ship set off for Mytilene, where her planes flew aerial reconnaissance missions over SMyrna, before continuing on to Salonika, arriving there on 8th November.
During this time the ship would then help the British Troops fighting the Bulgarians, whilst spotting the British Ships conducting shore bombardments and conducting anti-submarine patrols.
Following this she went to Murdos, to serve as Depot Ship to all seaplanes assigned to the No 2 Wing Royal Naval Air Service, which controlled all the RNAS Aircrafts in the area.
On 20th January 1918, the Ottoman Battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim, alongside the Light Cruiser Midilli (Better known as the former German Goeben and Breslau, still manned by the German Navy), sortied from the Dardanelles to attack British Warships based at Mudros.
The Yavuz struck a mine shortly after they exited the mouth of the Dardanelles, so they switched targets and sank two British Monitors off Imbros Island.
As they returned back to the Dardanelles, the two ships then came under attack from Ark Royal’s Sopwith Babies dropping off 65 pound bombs. Whilst one Baby got quickly shot down and the other was forced to make an emergency landing.
The Midilli managed to strike 5 mines and sank on her true back, whilst the Yavuz struck 2 more mines and then ran aground inside the Straits. The Ark Royal then sent over some “Short 184s” to try and bomb the Yavuz t down the next day, but the attacks failed.
Shortly after this the Ship was transferred over to Syros, but before that Ernest had been transferred back home having spent 3 years out in Gallipoli and Salonika.
