Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Sea Gallantry Medal group of seven awarded to Temporary Lieutenant Nelson Watson, Royal Naval Reserve and Mercantile Marine, who was awarded four medals for his services as Third Officer of the Oxonian at the rescue of the officers and crew of the Bradboyne, in the Atlantic, on 6 February 1920

Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., silver (Nelson Watson, “Bradboyne.” 6th February 1920.) in fitted case of issue; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. N. Watson. R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Nelson Watson) in original damaged Board of Trade paper envelope; Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 2nd small type, silver (3rd Officer Nelson Watson, S.S. “Oxonian” 6th February 1920) in Wyon, London fitted case of issue; Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, silver (To Nelson Watson, Third Officer, S/S “Oxonian”, for Gallant Service. 6th Feby. 1920.) with silver brooch bar, in damaged Elkington, Liverpool, fitted case of issue; Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society, 6th type, silver (Nelson Watson, 3rd Officer, S.S. “Oxonian”. February. 6. 1920.) with ‘double dolphin’ slip bar and brooch bar, in fitted Elkington case of issue, extremely fine (7) £1,800-£2,200

The Bradboyne, of Bideford, a 5,000 tons cargo steamer, left New York on 29 January 1920 for Cherbourg. During the voyage the ship encountered very wild weather and about 500 miles N.W. of the Azores the ship’s steering gear broke and became useless. The Bradboyne was helpless in a terrific sea. She took a heavy list over to one side and her cargo shifted. Wireless calls for aid were sent out and the steamship Oxonian, of Liverpool (Captain John Parry), came to her aid.

On her arrival it was decided to abandon the Bradboyne but owing to that vessel's heavy list and the state of the weather, her boats could not be lowered. In spite of the terrific gale and heavy seas, the Master of the Oxonian called for volunteers to man the boats which he had previously got ready for lowering, and No. 2 boat, under the command of Mr Williams, and manned by Steele, O'Gorman, Rodger, Owen, Sheldon, and Starkey, was lowered and rowed towards the Bradboyne, with a special warning not to go alongside.

Half an hour later No. 4 boat, under command of Mr Watson, and manned by Mr Malabar, Briscoe, Unthank, Owen, Fitzgerald and Simms was sent off. This boat went alongside the Bradboyne, and with considerable difficulty took off twenty men, who were safely conveyed on board the Oxonian.

Meanwhile, No. 2 boat went alongside the Bradboyne, and fourteen members of the crew jumped in, leaving on the wreck the Master, two officers and a fireman, who was in a highly nervous state. With great difficulty the fireman was got into the boat, which, however, was washed away before the Master and Second Officer could get in. In a further attempt to get the boat alongside, she capsized. Some of the occupants clung to the capsized boat, but were washed off by a heavy sea and only four regained her - one being James Owens of the the rescue party - being afterwards rescued by the Oxonian, which in the meantime had been brought to windward. Others attempted to swim to the Oxonian, and ropes, buoys and rafts were thrown overboard from that vessel, Mr Wilkinson, Mr Watson, Mr Malabar, Mr J. T. Owen, Fulton and H. Owen going over the side of the vessel with ropes, attempting to rescue the men in the water, but Mr Williams, O'Gorman, Rodger, Steele, Sheldon, and Starkey, together with thirteen members of the crew of the Bradboyne were drowned.

The Master and Second Officer of the Bradboyne afterwards managed to get into a boat and were rescued by the American Steamship Monmouth. In addition to these two men, 23 men of the Bradboyne had been saved by the men of the Oxonian while 13 men of the Bradboyne died. The Oxonian lost 6 men during the rescue.

The Board of Trade awarded Sea Gallantry Medals to the following 17 men of the Oxonian:
Stephen Wilkinson, Chief Officer; Owen Williams, Second Officer; Nelson Watson, Third Officer; Arthur Malabar, Third Engineer; James Thomas Owen, Chief Steward; George William Briscoe, Boatswain; James Unthank, Boatswain's Mate; Robert Archibald Fulton, Gerald O'Gorman, Henry Owen, and Peter Rodger, Quartermasters; John Steele, Lamptrimmer; and Joseph Fitzgerald, James Owen, Harry Sheldon, John Charles Simms, and Peter Starkey, Seamen, of the Steamship Oxonian, of Liverpool, are recommended by the Board of Trade for the award of the Silver Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea. In the cases of Mr Williams, O'Gorman, Rodger, Steele, Sheldon and Starkey, the award would be posthumous. The Master, John Parry, was also presented with a silver cup, value twelve pounds (some reports state that he also received the silver medal), the Master of the Monmouth also received a silver cup.

In May 1920, the Committee of Lloyd’s awarded their Silver Medal for Saving Life at Sea to the following five men of the Oxonian in recognition of their particularly heroic services on the occasion of the sinking of the S.S. Bradboyne: Stephen Wilkinson, Nelson Watson, Arthur Malabar, James Thomas Owen and Robert Archibold Fulton.

The Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society made awards to just four men of the Oxonian: The Master John Parry was awarded a silver medal, a pair of binoculars and an illuminated certificate; Stephen Wilkinson received a silver medal and a certificate of thanks; Nelson Watson received a silver medal and an illuminated certificate; and Arthur Malabar was awarded a silver medal.

In September 1921, the Shipwrecked Fishermen & Mariners Royal Benevolent Society gathered to present their chief life saving awards for 1920. These awards bear the name of the late Mr. Emile Robin who provided the necessary funds with the stipulation that the interest should go to the captain and chief officer of the British vessel which had carried out the most meritorious rescue of the crew of another ship in that year. This was adjudged by the committee of the society to be Captain Parry and Mr Wilkinson, the Chief Officer. To the former was awarded an aneroid barometer and a cheque for £16 and to Mr Wilkinson, a silver medal and £4. All the other members of the Oxonian also received silver medals and monetary awards. The next of kin of four of the Oxonian’s crew who lost their lives during the rescue also received silver memorium medals.

Nelson Watson was born in Sunderland, Co. Durham, in 1892. He qualified as Second Mate in a foreign going steamship of the Merchant Navy on 14 October 1912, advancing to First Mate in October 1915 and Master in November 1919. He was commissioned Temporary Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve on 8 May 1916, Temporary Acting Lieutenant on 23 December 1916 and Temporary Lieutenant on 8 May 1918. Watson served during the Great War in the protected cruiser H.M.S. Hyacinth from which vessel he was discharged in July 1919. He was demobilised on 8 November 1919.

On 6 February 1920, Watson was present as Third Officer of the Oxonian (Master, John Parry) at the rescue of 23 officers and men of S.S. Bradboyne in the mid Atlantic. Having commanded the rescue boat which successfully saved 20 men of the Bradboyne in circumstances of tremendous risk, and also having subsequently ventured over the side of the Oxonian with ropes in an endeavour save further lives, Nelson Watson was one of just four men of the Oxonian to be decorated by all four organisations which bestowed medals on the men of the Oxonian (details above) for their life saving efforts on that occasion. The others being The Master, John Parry; the First Officer Stephen Wilkinson; and the 3rd Engineer, Arthur Malabar, the latter three also being afforded the special privilege of having their Board of Trade Sea Gallantry Medals bestowed by H.M. the King at Buckingham Palace on 4 November 1920.