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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 351

'We had a rotten time of it, being 21 hours in an open boat, with nothing to eat or drink, and in a very rough sea. We nearly gave up all hope...We shall get our own back when the Germans bring their fleet out.'

The vengeful words of Stoker Ferrer in a letter to his mother after the sinking of Formidable on New Year's Day 1915

The Victory Medal awarded to Boy 1st Class T. Breed, Royal Navy, who was lost in the tragic sinking of the Formidable

Victory Medal 1914-1919 (J.26399. T. Breed. Boy. 1. R.N.), very fine

Thomas Breed was born at West Ham, Essex on 28 February 1898 and enlisted with the Royal Navy on 12 August 1913 with the rank of Boy Class II. Promoted Boy Class I with the training ship Powerful on 10 April 1914 Breed's first posting afloat was with the cruiser Theseus from April 1914.

Posted briefly ashore he joined the company of the battleship Formidable on 17 December 1914. This vessel was assigned to the 5th Battle Squadron on station in the Channel with the task of defending shipping between Britain and her armies on the Continent. After exercises of the Isle of Portland on New Year's Eve 1914, Formidable and her escort of cruisers remained at sea for patrol duties. Notably they were without the customary destroyer escort which might have deterred or prevented submarine attacks.

Unknown to the British U-24 under Rudolph Schnieder had been stalking the Squadron throughout its exercises and as night fell they prepared to attack. Formidable was at the rear of the British line - Coffin Position - and soon fell under U-24's sights. A torpedo struck her in the boiler room at around 02:00 crippling her, Captain Arthur Loxley immediately made for the shore but it was soon clear that she was lost.

Her cruiser escort were forced to withdraw when a submarine was spotted and Formidable was alone in poor weather. The crew assembled by the lifeboats and began to evacuate the ship with an impressive calm under the circumstances. A piano was played and men smoked as all the while the stricken vessel's list crew more pronounced. Captain Loxley and several of the senior officers remained on the bridge, preferring to fire off flares and send signals to ensure that their men were found. The poor weather hampered efforts to properly load the boats and soon the order was given 'every man for himself'. Of a crew of over 700 less than 200 survived and these men only after a punishing ordeal as they endeavoured to prevent the crowded lifeboats being swamped by the rough seas. In one case a cutter was beached near Lyme Regis but the men in it so exhausted that almost a third of the survivors died having reached the shore.

Breed was not amongst the survivors having gone down with Formidable just 27 days shy of his eighteenth birthday. He is commemorated upon the Chatham Naval Memorial; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£45

Starting price
£30