1915 Trio. Mills. Devizes/Chippenham. Submarine Service. Chanak Crisis 1922.

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Correctly named 1915 Trio J29942 AJ Mills AB RN

Alan John Mills was born to John and Mary in Wiltshire in 1897.

In 1911, he was working as a labourer for a market gardener and living in Loophill, Bromham, Chippenham.

Having enlisted into the Royal Navy in 1914, Alan spent a few years on ships before joining HMS Dolphin to serve aboard submarines.

He served first aboard Submarine J6 from May 1917. This submarine was sunk by friendly fire when it was mistaken for a German Uboat in October 1918.

He served aboard Submarine J4 from January 1918. He was aboard J4 until March 1919.

He was later to serve aboard HMS Maidstone which served as a part of the Submarine Flotilla.

Afterwards he served aboard HMS Centurion and was aboard when the ship was to take its part in the Chanak Crisis of 1922.

Chanak Crisis.

The Chanak crisis also called the Chanak affair and the Chanak incident, was a war scare in September 1922 between the United Kingdom and the Government of the Grand National Assembly in Turkey. Chanak refers to Çanakkale, a city on the Anatolian side of the Dardanelles Strait. The crisis was caused by Turkish efforts to push the Greek armies out of Turkey and restore Turkish rule in the Allied-occupied territories, primarily in Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Eastern Thrace. Turkish troops marched against British and French positions in the Dardanelles neutral zone. For a time, war between Britain and Turkey seemed possible, but Canada refused to agree as did France and Italy. British public opinion did not want a war. The British military did not either, and the top general on the scene, Sir Charles Harington, refused to relay an ultimatum to the Turks because he counted on a negotiated settlement. The Conservatives in Britain’s coalition government refused to follow Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who with Winston Churchill was calling for war.

The crisis quickly ended when Turkey, having overwhelmed the Greeks, agreed to a negotiated settlement that gave it the territory it wanted. Lloyd George’s mishandling of the crisis contributed to his downfall via the Carlton Club meeting. The crisis raised the issue of who decided on war for the British Empire.

Alan was later to serve aboard HMS Warspite when it was the flagship for the Commander in Chief and the second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet. This was to hit an unchartered rock and was sent to Portsmouth for repairs in 1927.

From here he was posted to HMS Victory I and from records we see in March 1929, he was discharged due to a traumatic amputation. 

No record has been found for an award of the Long Service Good Conduct Medal.

He married Lillian Cannings in 1930 after his discharge and we find them in 1939 living at ‘Harley, Heddington’, Calne. He is working as a builders labourer.

Alan died in 1981.

The medals are swing mounted as worn on original silk ribbons.

Aldo included in the lot is a Princess Mary Christmas Tin in which Alan has scratched his details and service dates.

1915 Trio. Mills. Devizes/Chippenham. Submarine Service. Chanak Crisis 1922.
£200.00

Availability: 1 in stock

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