Orders, Decorations and Medals

A ‘Volturno Disaster’ Sea Gallantry Medal awarded to Ordinary Seaman J. Allen of the Carmania

Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., silver (James Allen, “Volturno” 9th October 1913) slight edge bruising, very fine £300-350

James Allen, an Ordinary Seaman on the Cunard liner Carmania, was awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in Silver on the occasion of the Volturno disaster of 9 October 1913. The Volturno, a British steamer, chartered by the Uranium Steamship Co. of Rotterdam, and bound thence to New York, was engulfed by fire in mid-Atlantic during a heavy gale. Of the 657 on board, 521 were saved by a fleet of eleven steamers that sped to her aid. Heavy seas interfered with the launching of boats, but the difficulty was eventually overcome by the use of oil; those who perished were mostly lost in the boats. The hull of the Volturno was eventually found by a Dutch steamer and scuttled as a dangerous derelict.

Numerous awards were made for this famous rescue, including 78 Sea Gallantry Medals in Silver to crew members of the six British vessels. In addition the Board of Trade also awarded 152 silver Sea Gallantry Medals (Foreign Services) to the crews serving on foreign vessels at the rescue.

In little less than a years time the Carmania was involved in action of a different sort. Fitted out as an Armed Merchant Cruiser, on 14 September 1914 she engaged in combat and sank the German Armed Merchant Cruiser, Cap Trafalgar, in a desperate action off the Brazilian island of Trindade; the Carmania being badly damaged in the process.