Orders, Decorations and Medals

Germany, Medal Commemorating Captain Karl Spindler of the blockade runner Libau (Aud) 1916-31, 34mm., bronze, edge bearing the manufacturer’s name, ‘Gebr. Godet & Co, Berlin’, n.r., good very fine, scarce £100-140

At the urging of the Irish Volunteers leader Sir Roger Casement, the Germans were persuaded to send a consignment of arms to Ireland to be used by Irish rebels. The vessel chosen to transport the weapons was the former British cargo ship Castro, of 1062 tons, that had been captured by the Germans in 1914 and renamed Libau. Under the command of Captain Karl Spindler with a crew of 22 volunteers, the Libau, masquerading as the Norwegian vessel Aud, left Lubeck on 9 April 1916 with a cargo of 20,000 rifles, 10 machine guns and a sufficiency of ammunition and explosives. Taking a course far to the north of Britain and evading British naval patrols, she arrived off Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry, on 20 April. The plan to offload the deadly cargo never came to fruition as Casement, who had been put ashore from the German submarine U-19, was arrested and the volunteers who were to help with the unloading were involved in a car accident. With no means of contacting the Irish rebels to make alternative arrangements, the fully laden Aud was then intercepted by the British sloops Zinnia and Bluebell. The Bluebell then escorted the Aud to Cork but at the approaches to the harbour, Captain Spindler, discarding his ‘Norwegian’ disguise, hoisted the German Naval Ensign and scuttled his ship. Spindler and his crew became prisoners-of-war, Spindler later making an unsuccessful escape attempt. Roger Casement was tried and convicted of treason and hanged at Pentonville Prison on 3 August 1916. The medal was struck in Germany to mark the 15th anniversary of Captain Spindler’s exploits - possibly commissioned by Irish-Americans.

Spindler was idolised by many of those of Irish descent in the U.S.A. In 1931, the 15th anniversary of the voyage and the Easter Rising, the President of the Irish Committee in New York invited him to do a lecture tour of the United States. The main event took place on Easter Day in San Francisco where Spindler was enthusiastically received by the citizens of Irish and German descent. A website extract states, ‘The high point of the numerous honors conferred by the Americans was the presentation of the “golden key of the State of California” to Spindler personally by Governor Rolph; this was the first time ever for the State to confer this honor. ..... The Irish living in the United States ... still had something special left. They had a medal of pure gold struck for the man “who in 1916 risked his life for Irish liberty” which bore on the front side a portrait of Captain Spindler with his name and on the reverse side an inscription in commemoration of the Irish Easter Rising of 1916 and the blockade breakthrough by the German auxiliary cruiser. ...’

The medal was designed by John T. Ryan and manufactured by Godet, Berlin. A translation of the obverse legend reads, ‘Captain Karl Spindler, Commander S.M.S. Libau; Helpcruiser Libau, Blockade Breaker to Ireland 8-22 April 1916’; that on the reverse reads, ‘From the Executive Committee for Freedom in America 1931, for his services to Ireland at Easter 1916’. One gold medal was awarded to Spindler and bronze medals were awarded to surviving members of his crew. The total number of bronze medals struck is not known. See Decorations and Medals of the Republic of Ireland, 1972, by Wing Commander E. H. O’Toole, p.39-42.With copied research.