Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Chief Armourer W. McMahon, Royal Navy, the recipient of a rare Army M.S.M.

Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (277215 Chief Amr., Rl. Navy); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (277215 Ch. Armr., H.M.S. Jupiter) contact marks and edge bruising, generally very fine and excessively rare (2) £600-800

Army M.S.M. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

Of the 119 Army Meritorious Service Medals awarded to Naval and Royal Marine personnel in the Great War, it is most unlikely that more than six were actually inscribed to the R.N., the majority being to men of the R.N.V.R. or Royal Marines.

William McMahon was born in Leith, Midlothian in February 1895 and entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in July 1894. Posted to the gunnery school H.M.S. Excellent in the following year, he was appointed Armourer’s Crew in March 1896, an Armourer’s Mate in March 1900 and an Armourer in July 1903. McMahon was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in July 1909.

The outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 found him serving back at Excellent as a Chief Armourer but, as verified by his service record, he went out to France and was wounded in the chin and tongue in February 1915. Admitted to No. 10 Stationary Hospital at St. Omer, McMahon was successfully treated and discharged later that month. He was subsequently mentioned in despatches by Sir Douglas Haig for ‘distinguished and gallant services’ with the Royal Marine Artillery (London Gazette 11 December 1917 refers) and was finally demobilised in March 1919.