Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Commander F. E. Andrews, Royal Naval Reserve and Mercantile Marine, who survived the loss of his command to a torpedo attack off the Irish coast in October 1917

Transport Medal 1899-1902, 1 clasp, S. Africa 1899-1902 (F. E. Andrews); 1914-15 Star (Commr. F. E. Andrews, R.N.R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr. F. E. Andrews, R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Francis E. Andrews); Victory Medal 1914-19 (Commr. F. E. Andrews, R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, E.VII.R., hallmarks for London 1909, mounted as worn from original (frayed) ribands, generally good very fine (6) £1200-1400

Francis Edward Andrews, who joined P. & O. as a Fifth Officer in 1884, gained advancement to Chief Officer in 1899, in which rank he served in the S.S. Nubia during the Boer War (Medal & clasp).

And in common with fellow officers of the Mercantile Marine, he had meanwhile been enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve, being appointed a Sub. Lieutenant in February 1896, and advanced to Lieutenant in August 1898. Placed on the Retired List as a Commander in July 1910, the same year in which he was awarded the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, Andrews was recalled on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, when he assumed command of the Peshawur, a squadron supply ship of the Merchant Fleet Auxiliary. And he was similarly employed at the time of her loss to the U-96 several miles S.E. of Ballyquintin Point, Co. Down, on 9 October 1917 - 13 of her complement of 125 going down with the ship - the survivors, including Andrews, who was aged 52 years, were picked up by the patrol yacht Albion III and safely delivered to Belfast. His final wartime appointment appears to have been as a Shipping Intelligence Officer at Devonport, following which he retired to Bournemouth, where he died in December 1939; sold with a picture postcard of the Peshawur and a quantity of copied research.