Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce Great War 1917 ‘Minelaying operations’ D.S.M. group of five awarded to Able Seaman S. H. Wegg, Royal Navy, who served with the converted ocean liner H.M.S. Princess Margaret for the duration of the Great War, and also with her during the evacuation of civilians from Riga who were fleeing from the Bolsheviks, 30 December 1918 - 3 January 1919

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (214385. S. H. Wegg, A.B. H.M.S. Princess Margaret. 1917); 1914-15 Star (214385, S. H. Wegg, A.B., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (214385 S. H. Wegg. A.B. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (214385. S. H. Wegg. A.B. H.M.S. Princess Margaret); ‘Princess Margaret’ Deliverance from Bolsheviks Medal 1919, by Spink, London, obverse: fouled anchor enclosed by a life-belt, ‘Princess Margaret’ in raised letters above; reverse in raised letters, ‘Riga - London, 3rd Jany. 1919, 17th Jany. 1919, From the Grateful Passengers in Remembrance of their Deliverance from the Bolsheviks’, 38mm., white metal, unnamed, pierced with ring suspension, generally good very fine, last rare (6) £1,000-£1,400

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 October 1917.

Samuel Henry Wegg was born in Belfast in March 1885, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in April 1901. He advanced to Able Seaman in January 1903, and joined the battleship H.M.S. Hercules in August 1911, being part of her first sea going crew upon her commissioning. She subsequently became the Flagship of the 2nd Division of the Home Fleet, and Wegg was serving with her when she collided with S.S. Mary Parkes of Glasgow during a gale, 22 March 1913.

Wegg served with the cruiser H.M.S. Naiad from April 1914, and was posted to the minelayer H.M.S. Princess Margaret in March 1915. The latter being a converted liner requisitioned by the Admiralty from the Canadian Pacific Railway. The minelayer was armed with two 4 inch guns, two 3 inch guns, and 400 mines, and was employed on mine laying duties off the German ports.

Wegg was awarded the L.S. & G.C. 22 April 1918, and then later that year sailed with the Princess Margaret to the Baltic. Upon arrival she was to assist in operations evacuating civilians fleeing from the Bolsheviks. Acting on some disturbing news, the minelayer, H.M.S. Princess Margaret berthed at Riga on 19 December 1918, where she landed her marines on the 27th who, accompanied by an armed party from H.M.S. Ceres, marched through the town. The following day frightened British subjects began to arrive on board. On the 29th it was heard that a Lettish Regiment had mutinied, and arrangements were made for the defence of the approaches to H.M. vessels by the aid of search lights, and the use of star and lyddite shells. Even more refugees joined Princess Margaret that night, bringing the total on board to 392 souls, 143 men, 169 women and 80 children. From 30 December 1918 to 3 January 1919 armed parties were constantly landed to police the town and so ward off menacing parties.

On the 3rd January the Princess Margaret sailed for Copenhagen, where two days later she landed some of the refugees prior to her passage to the United Kingdom where the remainder were disembarked. A number of those put on board were fleeing Russian royalty and aristocracy. Wegg, and the crew of the Princess Margaret, received the above white metal medal as a token of thanks.

Wegg was posted to the light cruiser H.M.S. Curacoa in August 1921, but was invalided out of the service in December of the same year.