Six: Cadet G. N. Scurr, Merchant Navy, who was awarded the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct for his command of a crowded lifeboat - aged 18 years

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Pacific Star, clasp Burma; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf representative of the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, in their original addressed card forwarding box, together with a quantity of original documentation (see below), extremely fine (6) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to Merchant Seamen and D.E.M.S. Gunners.

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King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct London Gazette 8 February 1944. His First Officer’s recommendation states:

‘Cadet N. Scurr (18 years old), who took charge on my boat. I was unable to leave the ship and he was the only member of the ship’s crew in this lifeboat, which had 50 soldiers with some 30 natives on board, although his boat was only intended to carry 53 persons. He took charge in a very efficient manner and succeeded in getting all his men picked up by H.M.S. Teviot.’

George Norman Scurr was born in Shanghai in December 1924, and first went to sea as a Cadet in the S.S. City of Venice in October 1942. Having then seen service off North Africa, the ship returned to the Clyde to load 700 tons of military equipment and embark some 300 troops, the whole bound for Sicily. However, ten days into her voyage, on 4 July 1943, the City of Venice was torpedoed and, before long was ablaze from stem to stern and had to be abandoned - here, then, the moment young Scurr distinguished himself in command of an overladen lifeboat.

Having then served aboard the City of Hong Kong in the latter half of 1943, the Leonardo de Vinci in early 1944, and the Empire Clyde later in the same year, he commenced his final wartime seagoing appointment aboard the City of Delhi in June 1944, which ship was present in operations in the Pacific and off Burma. Scurr came ashore in late 1947.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct certificate, together with related congratulatory letters from Ellerman’s City Line and the Minister of War Transport; certificates for Efficiency as Lifeboatman, Examination by St. John Ambulance, and Proficiency as Merchant Navy A.A. Gunner; and a shore leave pass, with portrait photograph.