United Kingdom. A First & Second War Group of Nine Awards to the Royal Navy

A First & Second War Group of Nine Awards to the Royal Navy - British War Medal (J. 69483 A.H. LIBBY. A.B. R.N.); Victory Medal (J. 69483 A.H. LIBBY. A.B. R.N.); Naval General Service Medal, 1 Clasp - PALESTINE 1936-1939 (J. 69483 A.H. LIBBY. C.P.O. R.N.); 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945; and Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, George V (J. 69483 A.H. LIBBY. P.O. H.M.S. LUCIA). Naming is officially impressed on the First World War pair, the NGSM and the RNLSGCM, the five Second World War medals are un-named. Court mounted, original ribbons on the latter seven medals, dark patina on the silver medals, edge nicks on the Pair and the RNLSGCM, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a duotang folder with his military biography, copies of his Service Records and ten black and white ship photographs. Footnote: Augustus Herbert Libby was born on June 19, 1900 in Polperro Corners, Cornwall, England. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman 2nd Class at H.M.S. Impregnable, the Training Ship for Boy Seaman at Devonport, on April 16, 1917. Three months later, he was drafted to the Training Establishment H.M.S. Ganges on July 17th and was promoted to Boy Seaman 1st Class on December 14, 1917. In the new year, he joined the 5,400 ton 2nd Class Cruiser H.M.S. Dublin on February 7, 1918, as part of the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet, operating mainly in the North Sea and spent the remainder of the war with her, along with seeing another promotion, this time to Ordinary Seaman on July 19, 1918. For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He saw five more rank changes in the years between the wars, the first two of which were to Able Seaman on October 22, 1919 and to Leading Seaman on June 1, 1920. His post-war postings were numerous, beginning with a draft ashore to H.M.S. Vivid, the Gunnery School at Devonport, on January 28, 1920, before being posted to the 25,750 ton Battleship Resolution, on August 8, 1920. He served with H.M.S. Resolution twenty-one months before returning to H.M.S. Vivid on May 13, 1922. By the end of the year, he had been drafted to the 25,00 ton Battleship Emperor of India, on November 21, 1922, where he would serve for the next twenty-six months and saw a prromotion to Acting Petty Officer on January 19, 1925. He was transferred to the Training Establishment H.M.S. Impregnable, on February 8, 1925, promoted to Petty Officer on January 19, 1926, then returned to H.M.S. Vivid on November 26, 1926. Libby joined submarines on November 17, 1926 at H.M.S. Dolphin, the Submarine Base and Depot at Gosport "for Submarine Training". Upon completion of his training course, he was drafted to H.M.S. Ross at Portsmouth, as part of the 5th Submarine Flotilla and assigned to the L Class Submarine H.M.S. L-25, on January 1, 1927. Sixteen and a half weeks later, he was drafted to the Far East and assigned to the Submarine Depot Ship H.M.S. Ambrose, as part of the 4th Submarine Flotilla at Hong Kong, on April 27, 1927. By the end of the year, he was attached to the Submarine Depot Ship H.M.S. Titania and assigned to the L Class Submarine H.M.S. L-3, on December 6, 1927. Twenty-seven months later, upon the conclusion of his China service, he returned to England and was posted to H.M.S. Dolphin on March 21, 1930, then transferred a week later to H.M.S. Vivid on March 28th. By 1933, he was assigned to the Submarine Depot Ship H.M.S. Lucia, as part of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla at Devonport. The Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was awarded to Libby on June 30, 1933 while he was with H.M.S. Lucia. By the latter 1930s, he had been promoted to Chief Petty Officer. Libby earned the Naval General Service Medal with Palestine 1939-1945 Clasp for efforts in Palestine while based in the Mediterranean, between 1936 and 1939, of which with many men were put to shore, to aid civil authorities during the unrest. Although records are unavailable past 1930, Libby probably served on other submarines before going into General Service, where he served in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and coastal African theatres during the Second World War. After being promoted to Chief Boatswain on January 3, 1942, he was posted to H.M.S. Western Isles, the Anti-Submarine Training base at Tobermory, Scotland, on the Isle of Mull and later, to H.M.S. Glendower, a Training Base in North Wales. By the end of the war, he was promoted to Commissioned Boatswain in 1945. For his Second World War service, he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-1945.