3rd class cross with swords awarded to Captain Ralph Vincent Eyre for the Battle of Jutland in 1917 /permission to accept and wear issued on June 5, 1917/.
Gold, enamel.
Size 35.5 mm.
Marked with a St. Petersburg district assay office gold mark (alpha, female head in kokoshnik to the right, 56), round identification marks, partly readable maker's mark "ВД/VD" and "Eduard/Эдуардъ". It looks like two grids were partly melted when swords were resoldered.
Captain Ralph Vincent Eyre D.S.O. was born at London on 21/9/1882 the son of Eva and Colonel Henry Eyre, Coldstream Guards. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15/5/1897 being promoted Midshipman in September 1898. He served on a variety of H.M. ships and bases, mainly destroyers, steadily rising through the ranks to Lieutenant in command of H.M.S. Brisk (Acorn class destroyer) in 1912. At the start of the Great War, she was part of the Second Destroyer Flotilla deployed to Devonport to undertake escort duties and "submarine sweeps". Promoted Lieutenant-Commander on 30/6/1915 and given command of H.M.S. Mounsey (destroyer) in October 1915. During the Battle of Jutland, she was part of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla and was on station by King George V, they manoeuvred against a German destroyer squadron which however came to nothing. During the withdrawal that night, the 11th Flotilla ran into the German light cruisers and in the surprise encounter H.M.S. Castor (Flagship of 11th Flotilla) sook several hits and lost 10 men with two torpedoes being fired in return with nil result. Eyre received the Order of St. Anne (Russian) for 'Distinguished Services rendered in Battle of Jutland' and a M.I.D. Promoted to Commander on 31/12/1916 he remained on the Mounsey until 16/1/1918 before being posted to Canada on the staff of the C.S. Torpedo Boat Destroyers. He took command of H.M.S. Wryneck (destroyer) on 19/9/1918, the ship was still under construction and only completed on 11/11/1918. The ship was posted to the British Squadron in the Baltic as part of Operation Red Trek. However, when the men of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla found that they were going to be sent to the Baltic to take part in operations against the Russians, there was a great deal of unhappiness and discontent. The government having pledged that only volunteers would be sent and when the destroyers Velox, Versatile and Wryneck were ordered to the Baltic some 150 sailors left their post in a peaceful mutiny preventing the flotilla from sailing (The Royal Navy mutiny of 1919). Once this situation was resolved the flotilla sailed for the Baltic and were stationed at the base of Libau. Here she was instrumental in delivering reinforcements (150 men) to the garrison of Windau on 5 November, coming under heavy fire in the process. Latterly she was still at Libau with the rest of her Flotilla (of 4 destroyers) when the Germans attacked the town between 4-14 November 1919 as part of their effort to reassert control over the Baltic. Wryneck and three sister ships provided fire support to troops on the ground over the 8 days and nights and nearly exhausted all of their ammunition. In the end the ships of the R.N. provided ruthless fire support on the fleeing Germans and were instrumental in preventing the Germans from regaining control of the Baltic. Eyre was invested with the D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace by the King on 23/7/1920. His final ship being HMS Magnolia (Sloop) 15/10/21 - December 1922. Placed on the retired list on 2/3/1923, Promoted Captain on 21/9/1927. He died on 18/4/1940 at Cliff Coombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Only 23 Naval D.S.O.’s for Baltic in 1919, 1 for 1920.
Medal bar of Captain Ralph Vincent Eyre.
Distinguished Service Order (G.V.R.); 1914-15 Star impressed named L.T. COMM. R.V. EYRE. R.N; British War and Victory Medals (1914 – 18) impressed named COMMR. R. V. EYRE. R.N.; Imperial Order of St. Anne, 3rd class with swords.
