Albert medal

On the topic of gallantry awards, the following came to light as I was researching for a query on an award of a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct:

I was investigating the circumstances of the award of a Commendation to Norman Ernest Campbell Matthews. I found that the following members of the crew of ELIZABETH MASSEY all received "commendations" Captain Arthur Henry Dean, Chief Steward Sydney Yeoman Forrest, Deck Boy Gordon Hissey, Carpenter Norman Ernest Campbell Matthews, Chief Officer Samuel White Petherbridge. I also found separately that AB Ronald Eyton, from the same ship, received a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for rescuing a sailor from the PAN MASSACHUSSETS in Feb 1942.

On 19 Feb 1942, at 1945, the unescorted & unarmed SS PAN MASSACHUSSETS was hit by two torpedoes from U-128 about 20 miles off Cape Canaveral, while steaming at 13.5 knots in misty & squally weather. The torpedoes struck on the starboard side amidships & ruptured the tanks and deck. The explosions sprayed the cargo over the length of the vessel & ignited it, turning the tanker into a burning inferno but the full tanks prevented the cargo to explode. Some of the nine officers and 29 crewmen on board jumped overboard and swam underneath the flames to open spots and others went forward and escaped into the water by lowering a mooring line over the side because all lifeboats became victims of the flames before they could be launched. Three officers and 17 crewmen were lost. The British tanker SS ELIZABETH MASSEY immediately put out a lifeboat to pick up the men in the water, but rough seas hampered the effort until USCGC FORWARD took the lifeboat in tow and moved with it through the wreckage. Some bodies were recovered and placed on board the US Coast Guard ship, while all survivors were brought to the tanker and taken to Jacksonville Florida.

AB Ronald Eyton was awarded his RHS Bronze Medal for diving into the flame covered water to rescue an American seaman.

I’m puzzled that apparently Eyton did not receive any official recognition for his bravery, and suspect that the award recommendations emanated from the US.

 

To help you appreciate the numbers of DBS, I can say that in June 1941, there were over 1000 DBS in Freetown, Sierra Leone, awaiting passage home. Large numbers, obviously from different sinkings than those of March/April/May/June 1941, were shipped home from Freetown aboard troop transports and AMCs in January 1943.

All general convoys from Freetown to the UK ceased before the North Africa landings of November 1942, and did not restart until March 1943.

 

This is from memory, but I think it is correct, and was told to me by a late friend of mine who was a mine of information on the Merchant Navy. He was George Monk, and he and a colleague, both former MN Radio Officers during WW2 compiled a Register of deaths of MN ROs for WW2.
IIRC George said that there are two volumes in the MN CWGC Registers that are generally known, but there is also a third volume, that is virtually unknown, a copy of which used to be held by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board. It's certainly true that there is essentially one volume of the register that is little known about, plus the one, or two, that everyone knows about.
On record keeping, completed ships' agreements and discharge books were shipped to the port at which the end of the voyage was intended, in other ships. If these ships were lost then there will be no record of the crew for that voyage in RGSS records. Duplicate Discharge books were kept by the RGSS so that they could reissue them if necessary. Voyages of known ships (apart from STUFT Troopships and AMCs) can be tracked using the voyage record cards in the Lloyd's collection held in the Guildhall Library in London, and officers who made it to Master have a card in the Captain's Registers of the Lloyd's Collection in the Guildhall Libary.
AFAICT foreigners serving on British, and during WW2 those ships from Axis occupied countries that gave their services to the British, were treated as regards records as though they were British.

 

In my previous message the volumes I am refering to are: CWGC Register Volume 22 parts 1 and 2. As I say IIRC there is also a part 3.

 

Inexplicably I omitted the four Albert medals from my medals webpage
British Gallantry, Orders, and Campaign ribbons. which I have now inserted in their correct precedence order conferred by statute.

 

I know this thread is 11 years old now but thought I would share the attached photograph of James William.
In the same December edition of my then local newspaper the Bacup Times that broke the news of William’s medal award was the story of Able seaman Norman Clegg who was the cook on board a ship under the command of Lieutenant Commander Peter Scott the son of Captain Scott of the Antarctic. Paying tribute to Norman he said “Clegg was acting as leading number of a light automatic gun With his arm fractured by two shell splinters he continued lifting 50lb pans of ammunition to the gun throughout the action. Refusing to go below for treatment saying “I’m not going to leave her till it is over”

Norman was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in December 1945 for his actions.

Interestingly both James and Norman were indirectly linked. During the Great War H.M.S Broke had been commanded by Commander Evans who by the time of WW2 had become Admiral Edward Evans. Edward Evans was the second in command on Captain Scott’s fateful expedition taking over after the death of Captain Scott.

 

The Royal Navy AM which puts a lump in my throat is that to SBA Arturo Fanconi, awarded posthumously for his actions on 28 June 1944 at Quineville, behind Utah Beach, where mine clearance operations were being carried out:

"On 28th June 1944, Fanconi was summoned to help men wounded by mines at Quineville in Normandy. He at once ran almost half a mile and went through what later proved to be a field of-anti-personnel mines to reach them. He applied tourniquets and bandages; then, with help, carried two patients out of the drive which was the scene of the incident. This was a tiring and difficult task as it entailed hugging a wall all the way. Fanconi was on the more dangerous side throughout. While the rescue party were considering how best to -help a third man who lay some distance within the minefield, another mine burst beneath the rubble on which they stood. This killed one helper and wounded Fanconi and another. Despite this, Fanconi tried to collect his scattered medical kit and to help his comrade. He had to crawl to do so and was in great pain. In his attempt, he exploded a further mine which blew off one of his feet. The explosion hurled him into the air, and when he fell he set off a third mine which severed his other foot. A Corporal made every effort to help him, but the kit was now of little use and
Fanconi could not be saved. All who had witnessed his selfless courage, his speed and skill in giving aid to others, all the while exposing himself to immediate danger, were inspired by his great example"

He is buried in the British Cemetery in Bayeux. When we take the undergraduates from Wolverhampton on the Normandy field trip and tour the cemetery, I take them to his stone. Not many know what the AM after his name means. But after I have related this story, there are many lumps in throats and some tears.