WWI Pair. Collier. Westbury, Wiltshire. Royal Navy. Jutland Veteran.

Correctly named K27923 SC Collier Sto I RN

Samuel Chaloner Collier was born to Francis and Anna in 1895.

In 1911, we find the family living and Littlebridge, Westbury, Wiltshire.

Enlisting into the Royal Navy in 1915, he spent his full service aboard HMS New Zealand until his discharge in March 1919.

HMS New Zealand served at Jutland in 1916 which Samuel is listed upon rolls

But what part did ‘H.M.S. New Zealand’ play in the ‘Battle of Jutland’? Surprisingly, and considering she was fully engaged with the enemy, she only received one major direct hit to a front gun turret. ‘H.M.S. New Zealand’ fired no less than 420 twelve-inch shells during the battle, more than any other ship on either side. Despite this, the Battlecruiser is only credited with four “successful hits”, three on the Battlecruiser ‘SMS Seydlitz’ and one on the pre-Dreadnought ‘SMS Schleswig-Holstein’. By “successful hits” I take this as inferring actual indentifiable major damage of a critical nature. 

The most intriguing aspect of the battle is the relative lack of damage to H.M.S. New Zealand. In 1913 an elderly Māori Chief had presented Captain Halsey with a piupiu (Māori warrier’s flax skirt] and greenstone hei-tiki (pendant) and prophesied that while the Captain wore these in battle the ship would be kept safe. According to “lower deck legend”, the prophecy also stated that the ship would one day be in action and be hit in three places but casualties would not be heavy. This turned out to be true. During the Battle of Jutland Captain J.F.E. Green is said to have worn both gifts over his naval uniform (or, as one source states, “had them with him”) and the only major damage sustained was a hit to a front gun turret with no loss of life. The Captain’s piupiu came back to New Zealand in 2005 and is held by the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum at Torpedo Bay, Devonport. As at May 2016 the piupiu, along with a couple of other H.M.S. New Zealand artefacts, are on display in the major “36 Hours : Jutland 1916, The Battle That Won the War” exhibition in the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth England. 

In 1939 we see Samuel working as a cowman and living at 72 Eden Vale, Westbury, Wiltshire.

Samuel died in 1971.

The medals have long original silk ribbons. Samuel is entitled to a 1915 Star Trio.