Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War Lloyd’s M.S.M. group of three awarded to Captain T. F. Cole, Mercantile Marine, who was taken P.O.W. following the loss of his command to an enemy submarine in April 1917

British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals (Thomas F. Cole); Lloyd’s Medal for Meritorious Services, 3rd type, silver (Captain Thomas F. Cole, S.S. “San Hilario”, 20th April 1917), in its Wyon fitted case of issue, generally good very fine (3) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals to the Merchant Navy.

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Thomas Frederick Cole, who was born in Knottingley, Yorkshire, in 1878, was awarded his Lloyds’ M.S.M. in respect of his services as Master of the S.S. San Hilario on the occasion that she was attacked by an enemy submarine off the Fastnet in April 1917. In his official account of the action submitted to the Eagle Oil Transport Co. Ltd., Cole stated:

‘The Master - Captain Cole - who had now taken charge was on the bridge and the Chief Officer took up his position aft in charge of the gun’s crew. Fire was opened on the submarine within a minute or two of being sighted but the shots fell short. The submarine by this time was steaming on the surface and gradually overtaking the vessel and firing repeated shots, in fact, from all accounts received, she fired from 70 to 80 shots before the first one struck the San Hilario. This first shot hit the vessel at the base of her funnel and did some damage to steam pipes, etc. The whizzing of this shell over the heads of the gun’s crew momentarily upset them, so much so that two or three of them started to run away from their stations, but the Chief Officer at once intercepted them and at the point of his revolver ordered them back to their places on the gun platform. One or two of them demurred at this but Mr. Clark threatened to shoot the first man who left his station at the gun irrespective of whether the shells were flying over their heads or not. This had the desired effect and the gun was fired by Mr. Clark and the gun’s crew until there were only five shells left; meantime the vessel had been struck about twelve times by shells from the submarine and shells were also falling close alongside. Four of the crew who were amidships with the remainder of the crew had already been wounded, when an order was sent from the bridge to cease fire, and to stand by the boats. The Chief Officer sent all the gun’s crew forward as ordered with the exception of the two gunners who with Mr. Clark’s orders fired two more shots at the submarine. While firing these shots the 3rd Officer - Mr. Bailey - came aft with the message to Mr. Clark from Captain Cole that he must cease firing. Mr. Clark on looking round saw that the ensign had been hauled down from the masthead, he then sent the two gunners away with Mr. Bailey - the 3rd Officer - and remained by the gun himself with the intention of having another shot at the submarine if possible, refusing to leave the gun to go into the boats until the Captain himself came for him, and after a lot of persuasion got him to see he was only further endangering the lives and safety of the rest of the crew by remaining. Both boats were in the water when Mr. Clark came forward with Captain Cole, but before getting into the boat Mr. Clark went up to the Marconi Room to see that the Operator was safely away, then Captain Cole and Mr. Clark got into the boats and abandoned the vessel. Meanwhile, the submarine which had never stopped firing at and hitting the vessel came up, and fired several shots into the hull of the vessel at close range and sank her. They then took the Master on board the submarine and left the two boats’ crews to their fate ... ’

The ship’s boats were eventually rescued after four days, largely as a result of the leadership of the 1st Officer, G. P. Clark, while his skipper, the gallant Cole was awarded a commendation in addition to his Lloyd’s Medal (London Gazette 17 January 1919 refers); sold with a quantity of copied research.