Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-war Lloyd’s M.S.M. awarded to Captain W. Gilling, Merchant Navy

Lloyd’s Medal for Meritorious Services, 3rd type, silver (Captain William Gilling, M.V. “Port Fremantle”, 28/29th January 1932), in its fitted case of issue, extremely fine £300-350

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

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William Gilling, who was born in Sowerby, Yorkshire, in January 1881, was awarded his Lloyd’s M.S.M. in respect of his services as Master of the M.V. Port Fremantle on the occasion of a serious cargo fire. Lloyd’s’ Committee records state:

‘The Committee of Lloyd’s have awarded the Lloyd’s Silver Medal for Meritorious Service to Captain William Gilling of the Commonwealth and Dominion motorship Port Fremantle, following the services rendered by him and his officers and crew on the occasion of the fire on board their vessel at Wellington at the end of January last. The Port Fremantle, loaded with wool was discovered to be on fire at Wanganui and the vessel was taken to Wellington. From about midnight on 26 January to about noon on the following day, Captain Gilling with the crew and some formen stevedores, worked continuously in extinguishing the fire and discharging the wool.’

During the Great War, Gilling had qualified for the British War and Mercantile Marine War Medals, his seagoing appointments including the S.S. Port Victor from June 1917 until November 1919, in which period she was torpedoed 30 miles south of St. Catherine’s Point on 26 September 1917, though she managed to make Southampton under her own steam. He also served in the 1939-45 War, when he qualified for the 1939-45 & Atlantic Stars, and the War Medal, his last command being the Port Jackson from April 1938 until July 1941; sold with a quantity of copied research.