Description
The British War Medal awarded to Stoker 1st Class Alfred Henry Hooper who served aboard the R Class Destroyer H.M.S. Radstock, (K35123 A.H. Hooper. Sto. 1 R.N.), toned very fine.
On commissioning, Radstock joined the newly created Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer was soon in action, patrolling the North Sea for submarines. Despite participating in a number of sweeps, the vessel did not sight the enemy. Due to the continued submarine threat, the destroyer was transferred to escort duties and along with Northesk, was responsible for escorting the first southbound convoy to travel from Lerwick to Immingham on 29 April 1917. Convoys often operated at night and in very difficult conditions, and accidents happened. The vessel was found jointly culpable for a collision with the merchant ship Volute, which was leading a convoy that Radstock and sistership Undine were escorting, on 12 April 1918. Radstock remained part of the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla at the end of the war.
