THE 1914-15 TRIO TO PETTY OFFICER MECHANIC J. SYME, ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE WHO SAW SERVICE WITH THE RNAS ARMOURED MOTOR MACHINE GUN SQUADRON IN GALLIPOLI WITH THE 63RD (ROYAL NAVAL) DIVISION. Three: 1914-15 Star (officially impressed: F. 824, J. SYME. P.O.M. R.N.A.S.)British War and Victory Medals (officially impressed: M2-138693 PTE. J. SYME A.S.C.). Mounted loose style, Extremely Fine and virtually as struck.
Group accompanied by 2 pages of copied service papers and copied Medal Index card.
James Syme was born at Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, on 23/1/1887. He enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service on 29/10/1914 and at the time of enlistment gave his trade as that of chauffeur and mechanic. Symes saw service as a Petty Officer Mechanic (Electrical) with the Armoured Motor Machine Gun Squadron RNAS from 29/10/1914 to 18/10/1915 and was discharged from the Armoured Car Squadron RNAS on 18/10/1915 (service papers note discharge due to "Ar. Cars disbanded"). Following disbandment of the Armoured Car Squadron Syme transferred to the army and saw service as a mechanic with the Army Service Corps.
The Armoured Motor Machine Gun Squadron saw service during the Gallipoli campaign with the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, joining that division at Lemnos on 17/3/1915 and seeing service ashore at Gallipoli in April and May 1915. The crews of four Rolls Royce cars of the RNAS Motor Machine Gun Squadron served aboard the River Clyde during the "V" beach landings, providing covering fire for the troops as they landed. The Motor Machine Gun Squadron subsequently played a prominent role in the 3rd Battle of Krithia, 4/6/1915, assisting British and French troops in the destruction of Turkish barbed wire defensive entanglements.
For details of the services of the RNAS Armoured Car Squadron in Gallipoli, see Patrick Gariepy's "Gardens of Hell" (University of Nebraska, 2014)
