WW1 Merchantile Marine War Medal

[Guest Darrell]

Interesting Medal awarded to Merchant Marine Personnel in WW1. Considering the new War Threat of U-Boats, I would imagine that anyone who served on the Merchant Ships didn't sleep too well at night.

This one was impressed on the rim to JAMES ROBERTSON.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Closeup of Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Impressed name on Rim:

[Guest Darrell]

Different Angle:

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Darrell,

It takes a special kind of intestinal fortitude to sail off into U-boat infested waters not knowing if and or when you'll be sunk and with no way to defend yourself.

I've always liked these medals, thanks for the post.

Regards

Brian

[Guest Darrell]

Brian I agree.

Always had my eye open for one, never seemed to pull the pin when one fancied my eye.

[Ed_Haynes]

A nice -- if somewhat over-polished -- example of a grossly underappreciated medal.

Now (or soon) the National Archives (a.k.a. PRO) will have online a range of surviving merchant seaman records, so there is hope .... maybe. Makes it easier, I guess, for the lazy reasearcher not to have to do their work where the records are?

[Guest Darrell]

A nice -- if somewhat over-polished -- example of a grossly underappreciated medal.

Yep, someone was proud of their accomplishments. I like the way the old polish has dried in the stamped naming. Makes it stand out nice.

[Michael Johnson]

I've had one to an Indian seaman for some time, but scored when I acquired a pair to Charles Draper, an officer with the Allan Line, later acquired by Canadian Pacific Steamships. He served again in the Second War, and was torpedoed twice as Master. The second time he didn't survive. Fortunately my research showed that his is a unique name for this medal.

[leigh kitchen]

I picked up a Mercantile Marine & BWM pair years ago, but have'nt researched them at all.

A couple of years ago I picked up a 1914-15 Star trio to a Northumberland Fusiler, with a Mercantle Marine to the same man, looks like he was invalided out of the army & joined the Merchant Marine, not too common a combination of medals so I've been told.

I like it when the ribbon on a medal has a "meaning" like this one, the white of the mast with the green & red lanterns, rather than just being a colour combination chosen ad hoc.

The medals to 6-1543 Private Alexander R. Grigor, North D. Fus.

Edited April 9, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Alex K]

Now (or soon) the National Archives (a.k.a. PRO) will have online a range of surviving merchant seaman records, so there is hope .... maybe. Makes it easier, I guess, for the lazy reasearcher not to have to do their work where the records are?

Interesting, It may mean that I can find some info on mine to James H G Lamont, attached. Ribbon is a replacement, but still have the complete original

[Ed_Haynes]

All of mine are to Indians (could you possibly have guessed that?). Mine are to Goans but in India you often see them to what may well be Hadhramautis (merchant sailors, then as now, moved about across the Arabian Sea).

Mine:

L. D'COSTA.

S. FERNANDES

To my (limited) experience, any group containing this medal is at least uncommon and always very nice.