British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War B.E.M. group of seven awarded to Purser Chief Steward William Rohrs, Merchant Navy

British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (William Rohrs); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted for wear, cleaned, nearly extremely fine (7) £300-350

B.E.M. London Gazette 9 January 1946. ‘William Rohrs, Chief Steward S.S. “City of Keelung” (Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Company Ltd.).’

William Rohrs was born in London on 21 July 1887 (or 1888). Serving in the Merchant Navy in the Great War, he was awarded the British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals. During the Second World War, he was Chief Steward aboard the Ellerman & Bucknall Line ship City of Perth - launched in 1913 as Kandahar and renamed in 1926. On 26 March 1943, the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine U-431 in the Mediterranean off Oran. Rohrs and most of the officers and crew successfully vacated the ship, which was then towed and beached near Cape Fagalo, near Oran. Rohrs then served on a number of Ellerman & Bucknall Line ships, joining the City of Keelung as Purser in April 1945. Whilst serving aboard the vessel he was awarded the B.E.M. for his wartime services. He continued to serve as Purser Chief Steward on a number of the company’s vessels until 1952.

The 5,186 ton Keelung was launched in 1919 and renamed City of Keelung in 1936. In 1947 she was sold to the China Hellenic Line and renamed Hellenic Trader. In 1951 she was resold to N.K.K. and renamed Nichian Maru. She was broken up in Japan in 1960. Only one award to the City of Keelung listed in Seedies Merchant Navy List.

With copied research including: Great War medal card; Second World War medal roll extract; Merchant Navy Registration Card - bearing a photocopied photograph of the recipient; and service record, 1943-52.