Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: 1st Class Bedroom Steward William H. Williams, Merchant Navy, a survivor from the Lusitania, sunk by the German submarine U-20, 7 May 1915

British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals (William H. Williams) extremely fine (2) £400-450

William Henry Williams was a 1st Class Bedroom Steward on the Lusitania. Sailing from New York to Liverpool with 1,257 passengers and 702 crew, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off the southern coast of Ireland on 7 May 1915. 1,198 persons were killed in the outrage, including 124 American citizens. The American casualties created opposition in the U.S.A. to Woodrow Wilson’s previous policy of neutrality and helped precipitate American entry into the war.

Details given by William Henry Williams’ son, Joseph, relate that he was ‘the last to leave the stricken vessel, once in the water he took hold of a large piece of wood and clung to it for about 48 hours, then picked up by a fishing vessel and taken into Cork Harbour where he was transferred to a hospital’.

Sold with medal envelopes of issue; copied engagement papers relating to William’s service on the Lusitania and hand-written details, these derived from his son - describing his father’s experience during the sinking and later biographical information.