A superb first and second world war medal group of six awarded to Lieutenant Eric William Hardy, Royal Navy, which includes some fantastic original photographs in 5 large albums as well as important Naval signals declaring the end of the war. 

1914-15 Star named to Lieut. E.W. Hardy. R.N. 
British War Medal named to Lieut. E.W. Hardy. R.N. 
WW1 Victory Medal named to Lieut. E.W. Hardy. R.N. 
WW2 Defence Medal unnamed as issued 
War Medal 1939-45 unnamed as issued 
1937 George VI Coronation Medal unnamed as issued 

The medals are in good condition and are swing mounted for wear.

Lieutenant Eric William Hardy was born on 26th September 1891. He entered the Royal Naval College Osborne on 15/09/1904 at the age of 13 and went on to Dartmouth Royal Naval College in 1907. He served on H.M.S. Renown in the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland and in 1918 was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on H.M.S. Ceres.

After the war he went on to serve on various ships including H.M.S. Birmingham and H.M.S. Cumberland and is believed to have been the Commanding Officer of H.M.S. Imperieuse the Royal Naval Technical Training School for stokers during the Second World War.

Included with the group are five large photo albums which contain some fantastic photographs documenting his career in the Navy, before, during and after the First World War and include photos of RNC Osborne, Dartmouth RNC, H.M.S. Cornwall at Kiel Week in Germany, June 1909 with photos of the Kaisers Yacht and the German Fleet, visits to Stockholm and Malmo, Combined Fleets Review 1910, Review in Nice 1912 with march pass of British and French sailors and marines, Trooping the Colour of the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Malta 1912, Allied review at Fiume 1919, the Shah of Persia on board H.M.S. Ceres 1919, West Africa 1923/24 including photos of Hardy at his hobby, rock climbing, Naval Field Gun crews at an event, Durban Centenary celebrations, a Naval funeral, holiday photos from the Lake District in 1919 and 1920, H.M.S Caledonian ( Naval Articifer Training) with a visit by King George VI, and a quantity of photos taken at H.M.S. Imperieuse for an article in British Machine Tool Engineering Magazine in June 1945.

Inside one of the albums are three official Naval Signals, the first, on Naval Form S.-1320B, is dated 11/11/18 time 1110 hrs and is from the 'Admiralty to All Ships, Armistice was signed at 6 A.M. today November 11 (1052)', the second signal is on the larger Naval Form S.-1320c. and is dated 11/11/18 time 2141 hrs, it is from the Admiralty to all ships and is a long message from the King to all ranks of the Royal Navy and Marines, Naval Auxiliaries and Mercantile Marine, thanking them for their service in protecting the nation during the war and includes, ' Never in its history has the Royal Navy with Gods help done greater things for us nor better sustained its old glories and the chivalry of the seas', the third signal is on Naval Form S.-1320B. , it is dated 17/11/18 time 2250 hrs and reads, ' from C in C GF ( Commander in Chief Grand Fleet - Admiral Sir David Beatty) to C in C German High Seas Fleet, In order to arrange details for giving effect to terms of Naval Armistice suggest you send a flag officer authorised as necessary on a light cruiser to a rendezvous where he will be met and escorted to my base, please reply and a rendezvous will then be given, reply on 800 metres', with the signals is an official mimiograph of the diagram for the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21st November 1918 showing the positions in parallel columns at sea, of all the German warships of the High Seas Fleet and escorting British, Empire and U.S. ships of the Grand Fleet, with their names and units, Battle Squadrons, Battle Cruiser Squadrons, Light Cruiser Squadrons, Destroyer Flotillas, etc.

There is also a headed letter from Buckingham Palace dated 11/10/19 granting Lieutenant Hardy permission to wear the 3rd Class Order of the Lion Sun conferred by the Shah of Persia together with a document in Persian/Farsi script presumably conferring the award. 

This group really needs to be viewed. It is a truly wonderful archive of Naval life. 

*Please note that due to the size and weight of this lot, shipping for overseas buyers will have to be calculated upon request.