Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

Pair: J. C. Denley, Mercantile Marine

British War and Mercantile Marine Medals 1914-18 (John C. Denley), together with a Silver War Badge, officially numbered ‘B193110’, lacking reverse pin for wearing, and a bronze and enamelled Masonic badge, good very fine

Pair: Charles F. Fryer, Mercantile Marine

British War and Mercantile Marine Medals 1914-18 (Charles F. Fryer), good very fine

Pair: Alfred A. Wilde, Mercantile Marine

British War and Mercantile Marine Medals 1914-18 (Alfred A. Wylde), good very fine

Pair: R. E. Whitehead, Mercantile Marine

British War and Mercantile Marine Medals 1914-18 (R. E. Whitehead), good very fine (10)
£80-100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the collection of Angela and the late Douglas Bertram.

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Collection

Charles F. Fryer is believed to have been serving as First Mate in the S.S. Bulgarian when she was torpedoed and sunk off S.W. Ireland on 20 January 1917. The Master and 14 crew members were killed, and another nine picked up and taken prisoner.

Alfred A. Wilde is believed to have been serving as a 4th Class Engineer in the Manchester Importer (Admiralty Transport C8026) when she was torpedoed off the Brighton Light House in the early morning hours of 20 May 1918.

Reuben Edgar Whitehead was serving in the hospital ship Glenart Castle on 7 March 1917, when she was torpedoed 20 miles west of Lundy Island. She was fully laden with wounded from France and over 160 men lost their lives; sold with a quantity of original documentation and a portrait photograph, the former including official correspondence regarding the award of his B.W.M. and Mercantile Marine Medals in February 1942.