Auction Catalogue

16 December 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 864

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16 December 2003

Hammer Price:
£2,100

A rare ‘China Incident’ O.B.E. group of five awarded to Commander W. G. Lalor, Royal Naval Reserve

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 1st type breast badge; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut., R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., good very fine (5) £600-800

O.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 6 May 1927: ‘In recognition of services at Wanhsien, Yangtse River, China, on the 5th September 1926, and connected events:- Lieutenant-Commander William Goggan Lalor, R.D., R.N.R., s.s. “Wanliu.”

‘His action in enforcing the legitimate rights of the ship under his command required great courage, whilst his services in promptly taking a relief ship with a naval crew from Ichang to Chungking during the disturbance in 1925, when Chinese crews and pilots deserted, was most valuable and praisworthy.’

This rare award was given for gallantry during the Civil War in China. On the 5th of September 1926, the Steamer
Wanliu, owned by Messrs Butterfield & Wire, got into difficulties with General Yang Sen's soldiers at Yunyang. The Chinese claimed that two sampans were capsized by the wash of the Wanliu, several soldiers being drowned and many thousands of dollars which were on board being lost. The Captain of the Wanliu , Lieutenant-Commander W. G. Lalor, denied this, and stated that his ship was boarded by armed soldiers, and that his vessel was fired on whilst endeavouring to escape. As a reprisal General Yan Sen (one of Wu Pei Fu’s supporters), seized the two Butterfield ships Wanhsien and Wanting at the port of Wanhsien, placing 300 soldiers aboard the vessels, and locking the officers in their cabins.

The Royal Navy Gunboats
Cockchafer and Widgeon with the Steamer Kiawo, the latter owned by Messrs Matheson & Co, but taken over by the Royal Navy, manned by 4 Naval officers and 60 men, attempted to rescue the seized ships. They came, however, under very heavy fire from field guns, machine guns, and rifles, and although they replied to the fire vigorously, they were compelled to withdraw in the face of the superior odds. The Commander of Cockchafer and 5 men were wounded, but the crew of the Kiawo, which attempted a boarding, suffered very heavily. Three Officers and four men were killed, one Officer and eight men were wounded. The foreign officers on the captured steamers were rescued, with the exception of Mr Johnson, Chief engineer of the Wanting, who was drowned whilst attempting to swim with his Chief Officer to a French gunboat. Awards for the action at Wanhsien also included two D.S.C’s, two C.G.M’s and four D.S.M’s.

William Goggan Lalor joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a Midshipman on 11 August 1908, becoming Sub-lieutenant on 30 March 1914. He was shortly afterwards appointed to the battleship
Agincourt in which ship he took part in the battle of Jutland, during which he ‘ably performed his duties as a turret officer,’ and was specially promoted to Lieutenant for these services (London Gazette 15 September 1916). In May 1917, he was appointed to the cruiser Suffolk, Flagship of Rear-Admiral Payne, on the coast of Russia, and based at Vladivostock 1917-19.