Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Pair: Private A. S. Marks, Royal Army Medical Corps

British War and Victory Medals (74280 Pte., R.A.M.C.), officially re-impressed naming, extremely fine (2) £40-50

Arthur Stanley Marks was born in Clifton, Gloucestershire and enlisted at Bristol. Serving as a Private with the R.A.M.C. he died at sea, 4 May 1917, aged 20 years, when the liner Transylvania was sunk by a submarine in the Gulf of Genoa. Marks’ name is commemorated on the Savona Memorial, Italy.

The Transylvania was carrying troops, en-route from Marseilles to Alexandria, and was escorted by two Japanese destroyers - the Matsu and Sakaki. At 10 a.m. on 4 May 1917, when 21/2 miles south of Cape Vado in the Gulf of Genoa, the Transylvania was hit by a torpedo fired by a submarine. Heading towards nearby land, the Matsu came alongside to take off troops whilst the Sakaki maintained watch for the submarine. This, sadly was in vain, as another torpedo was fired, coming straight at the Matsu which was alongside the liner. The destroyer managed to go astern and avoid the torpedo which then hit the unfortunate Transylvania which sank very quickly. 2 officers and 10 men of the crew and 29 officers and 373 other ranks were killed.