Distinguished Service Medal awarded to Chief Petty Officer A. G. Clarke while serving on HMS ‘Royalist’. Alexander George Clarke was born 18 December 1879 and entered the Royal Navy 21 January 1896. He served as a Boy 2nd Class and 1st Class on HMS ‘Impregnable’, 1896, and as an Ordinary Seaman on HMS ‘Volage’, 1897. In 1898 he was promoted to Able Seaman and served on HMS ‘Alexandra’ and in 1901 he was promoted to Leading Seamen serving on HMS ‘Canopus’. In 1902 he was promoted to Petty officer and in 1916 to Chief Petty Officer. He was present at the Battle of Jutland and commended for good service in action. The DSM was gazetted 27 June 1919. CPO Clarke was also Mentioned in Despatches and received the 1914-5 Star (MED1569), British War Medal (MED1570), Victory Medal with 2 oak leaves for Mention in Dispatches (MED1571) and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (MED1572).

‘Royalist’ was a light cruiser launched in 1915. She joined the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet in March 1915 and then the 1st LCS. She was present at the Battle of Jutland, 1916. After February 1917 she was converted to a minelayer and laid 1183 mines. She was sent to the Baltic in January 1919 and returned in April to join the 2nd LCS, Harwich Force.

On the obverse face of the medal is the bust of George V in naval uniform and the inscription: ‘GEORGIVS V BRITT : OMN:REX ET IND : IMP’. On the reverse is the Royal crown above and a laurel wreath tied with a bow enclosing the inscription: ‘FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE’. On the edge of the medal is the inscription: ‘187324 A.G.CLARKE, C.P.O.”ROYALIST” SERVICE DURING WAR’. The medal is fitted with a bar and a dark blue ribbon with a broad white central band divided by a narrow dark blue stripe and is mounted on a bar with the above medals.