Description
The British War Medal awarded to Able Seaman James Albert Lake whose papers sate “Run – Simonstown 11th January 1911” and who served aboard H.M.S. Cleopatra during the Great War when on 24 March 1916 Cleopatra sighted the German destroyer G 194 ahead of her. She turned toward G 194 and rammed her, cutting the destroyer in half and sinking her immediately, but the manoeuvre took Cleopatra across the bows of the light cruiser HMS Undaunted, and the two cruisers collided; , comprising 1914-1920 British War Medal, (169102 J.A. Lake. A.B. R.N.), very fine
H.M.S. Cleopatra was taken into service in the Royal Navy in June 1915, Cleopatra was assigned to the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron in Harwich Force, which operated in the North Sea to guard the eastern approaches to the Strait of Dover and English Channel. In 1915, she was fitted with a runway on her forecastle to launch French-made Royal Naval Air Service monoplanes to attack German airships flying over the North Sea, but the aircraft proved unable to achieve the altitude necessary to attack the airships, and the runway had been removed by early 1916. In August 1915, she took part in the hunt in the North Sea for the Imperial German Navy auxiliary cruiser SMS Meteor. In February 1916, she replaced the recently lost light cruiser HMS Arethusa as flagship for Harwich Force’s commander, Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt. She was part of the force covering a Royal Naval Air Service seaplane raid against the Imperial German Navy airship hangars at Tondern, then in northern Germany, on 24 March 1916 and, during the return journey, sighted the German destroyer G 194 ahead of her. She turned toward G 194 and rammed her, cutting the destroyer in half and sinking her immediately, but the manoeuvre took Cleopatra across the bows of the light cruiser HMS Undaunted, and the two cruisers collided; Cleopatra returned to base with the force despite the damage she suffered in the two collisions, but Undaunted was so badly damaged that it took her four days to reach port.
Cleopatra completed repairs and returned to service in time to take part in Royal Navy operations opposing the Lowestoft Raid – a German naval bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft – on 24–25 April 1916, and was part of the force under Commodore Tyrwhitt that found the German battlecruisers carrying out the raid.
James Albert Lake joined the Royal Navy on the 8th of March 1895, for 12 years stating that he was born on the 8th of March 1877 in Plymouth, Devon and was a Rigger Engineer. He served many ships but was serving aboard H.M.S. Pandora when on the 11th of January 1911 he deserted at Simonstown. He surrendered himself to a one of His Majesty’s ships on the 10th of June 1911. In June 1915 he joined H.M.S. Cleopatra and served aboard her until 27th of June 1916
He is entitled to a 1914-15 Trio Sold with Copy Service Papers and Medal Roll
