British War Medal 1914-18

Obverse: Head of King George V (left). Legend: 'GEORGIVS V OMN:REX ET IND : IMP:' Reverse: A Knight on horseback (right) a short sword in his right hand, trampling on the German shield, skull and cross-bones. Legend: '1914-18'. Inscription on edge: '231336 C.E.E.MILES, P.O., R.N.' Fitted with a bar and orange watered silk ribbon edged with blue, black and white stripes. Mounted on a bar with four other medals.

Cecil Ernest Edward Miles (1889-1966) was born in Southwark son of Francis and Annette. His family worked in the printing trade. Cecil Miles trained on HMS 'Warspite' and after a short spell in the merchant service, entered the Royal Navy in 1904. During the start of the First World War he served in the Mediterranean in Submarine B6. During 1915 he was in HMS 'Blenheim' and submarine depot HMS 'Adamant which were deployed to Mudros on the island of Lemnos, in support of the Gallipoli Campaign. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in October 1916 - Miles was serving on the submarine E54 that torpedoed and sank the German UC10 in the North Sea on 21 August 1916. He left the Navy in 1929 with the rank of Chief Petty Officer and after a spell in business as an electrical engineer, he was recalled to naval service from 1939-1944. He was living in Broadstairs at the time of his death. Cecil Miles married Olive M. Branch in 1936 in Camberwell.

Object Details

ID: MED1395
Collection: Coins and medals
Type: War medal
Display location: Display - Forgotten Fighters
Creator: Mackennal, Edgar Bertram; McMillan, William
Events: World War I, 1914-1918
Date made: 1919
People: King George V; Miles, Cecil Ernest Edward
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm
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