Description
1914-15 Star, officially impressed “QN. 3648 G. LEAHY A.B. R.A.N.”.
British War Medal, officially impressed “3648 ABLE SEAMAN G. LEAHY R.A.N.”.
Victory Medal, officially impressed “3648 ABLE SEAMAN G. LEAHY R.A.N.”.
Mexico Silver Eight Reales 1882Pi MH, engraved “S.M.S. EMDEN 9 – 11 – 14”.
Western Australia Medal, engraved “G. LEAHY. ORD’ SEAMAN”.
Born in Clonmel, Ireland on Wednesday the 28th November 1894, Gerald Leahy, the son of Mr Robert Leahy, was a resident of Robert Street of Spring Hill, Brisbane at the time of his attestation with the Royal Australian Navy, commencing service on the 2nd February 1914 as Seaman 3648. Although spending his first few months of service aboard H.M.V.S. ‘Cerberus’, an old breastwork monitor that was originally in service to the Victorian Naval Forces and the Commonwealth forces before the establishment of the Royal Australian Navy, he soon discharged from ‘Cerberus’ on the 15th July. The following day, on the 16th July, Leahy transferred to H.M.A.S. ‘Sydney’, a formidable Chatham-class light cruiser commissioned by the R.A.N. the previous year.
Following outbreak of the first World War, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force were engaged in the waters north of Australia, culminating in the invasion and subsequent occupation of German New Guinea. Leahy was aboard H.M.A.S. ‘Sydney’ which was amongst a small fleet mustered for the campaign, including also H.M.A.S. ‘Australia’, ‘Melbourne’, ‘Warrego’, and ‘Berrima’ – the invading force consisted of 1000 new enlistees of the newly formed first Infantry Battalion as well as volunteer regiments, two machine gun sections, a signals section and a medical detachment. The campaign culminated with the Battle of Bita Paka on the 11th September 1914 and the subsequent Siege of Toma, reducing a strategic German possession in the Pacific and thereby denying its use to support their naval forces in the region.
The following month, Leahy was promoted to Able Seaman on the 21st October 1914.
On the 9th November 1914, in response to distress calls received by the communication station at Direction Island in the Cocos (Keeling) islands, the R.A.N. deployed H.M.A.S. ‘Sydney’ to engage the German light cruiser S.M.S. ‘Emden’. ‘Sydney’ arrived within two hours and was engaged with ‘Emden’ at 9:40am – being larger, more mobile and better armed of the two, the Australian vessel overpowered ‘Emden’, which was now heavily damaged and subsequently beached on the North Keeling Island by 11:20am. The Australians lost three crewmen and had thirteen wounded, all of which during the initial advance, whilst Emden’s entire crew was captured and lost 134 men during the battle. Further, Leahy was paid his ‘Emden’ prize bounty on the 1st January 1916.
Following the action with ‘Emden’, Leahy was on strength with ‘Sydney’ for the remainder of the ship’s service during the first World War, finally retiring from her on the 13th April 1918 in England, after which ‘Sydney’ returned home to Australia. During this period, Leahy was promoted to acting Leading Seaman on the 9th June 1916, then officially qualified as Leading Seaman on the 6th November 1917. Thereafter, from the 14th April to 10th May 1918, Leahy remained in the Royal Australian Navy depot in London until beginning service aboard H.M.V.S. ‘Cerberus’ between 11th May until 1st August, then later aboard H.M.A.S. ‘Tingira’, a training ship, from the 2nd August until discharging from the R.A.N. on the 17th May 1919.
Gerald Leahy returned to civilian life and later passed away on the 15th December 1947.
A most excellent Royal Australian Navy ‘Emden group of six’ to a Seaman who served with H.M.A.S. ‘Sydney’ for the entirety of her service during the Great War, and most notably a local Brisbane group. The trio is swing mounted and well preserved although has seen some wearing, Very Fine; the Kerr medal and souvenir-engraved Peso each with on attractive 8 Reales host coin with minimal chopmarks, and the Western Australia medal is toned and as issued.
An “Emden group” to a Royal Navy seaman aboard H.M.A.S. Sydney was sold through Spink for an equivalent of AU$11,832 at the time – although certainly achieving a premium for being a British servicemen, the high price still certainly reflects the desirability and collectability of groups such as these.
