WW1 & WW2 Naval Group

[Mervyn Mitton]

**Remember to click on pictures to enlarge**

This fairly ordinary medal group has an interesting background. Firstly the trio is present

for the First World War - from the naming on the 1914-15 Star we see that he is shown as

3rd Engineer. For the War medal he is shown as Engr.S.Lt. (Engineer Sub-Lieutenant).

This group came with the shoulder boards for a Merchant Navy Engineering Officer - I had

thought they were medical, but a number of our experts soon corrected me - see the post under

Badges.

I have to arrange for his papers to be drawn and then we will find out his Service details - I will

keep you up-dated.

Since he was Royal Naval Reserve, he must have left the Merchant fleet and re-joined at the

beginning of WW2. With the Atlantic Star he was certainly at sea.

[Mervyn Mitton]

The Group reverse. The medals have been badly stored and the front ribbons showsigns

ofe silverfish damage. I have had the silver medals cleaned - they were so dirty.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Reverse of the 1914-15 Star

[Mervyn Mitton]

Part of naming

[Mervyn Mitton]

Part of naming

[Mervyn Mitton]

These are also shown under Documents with the comments. They obviously go with the

medals , so I am re-posting here.

[Odulf]

Richard P. Jenkins, Engr.SL with seniority from 10-04-1918 (tempy), o/B HMS Jupiter II [ A/P Stores Ship at Devonport, from Mar / May 1918.

Sources: The Navy List Dec. 1918 & Shore establishments of the RN (compiled by Lt.Cdr. B.Warlow, RN; Maritime Books, 2000)

[Brett Hendey]

Mervyn

I have a particular interest in the Merchant Navy, especially because of the heroic wartime service of many merchant seamen, so I was pleased to see your WWI/WWII medal group.

Shown below is another group to MN Engineer. The medals were awarded to Chief Engineer William Harding, who ended his career as Chief Engineer of the 'Queen Mary'. He retired and was awarded the OBE in 1951. He served in the Merchant Navy in WWI and was awarded the Mercantile Marine Medal and War Medal. Unfortunately, these medals are missing. During WWII he served on ships in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and this is reflected in the medals shown below. According to his family, he was on two ships that were torpedoed.

Harding was born in Sierra Leone in 1888. He must have had some connection with Tanzania in order to have been awarded the Tanzania Independence Medal. He settled in Natal, where he died.

Apart from the little information given above, I have not had Harding properly researched.

[Brett Hendey]

Chief Engineer William Harding of the 'Queen Mary'.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Brett - thankyou for adding such a good group - and the "Queen Mary" ! Do you think that a four stripe

Engineer Captain would only be on board a large liner ?

I like your new Avatar - you Honour Natal Carbineers. Mervyn

Odulf - thankyou for that valuable info. on dates and posting. Always a pleasure to hear from you. Mervyn

[Brett Hendey]

Mervyn

Thank you for your kind comments. I suspect that a four-stripe Engineer would serve on any ship with a four-stripe Captain. It wouldn't do to have an Engineer seemingly outranking the ship's Captain. However, we need a navy expert to give a reliable answer.

Regards

Brett