Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Captain J. W. Worthington, Inland Water Transport and Merchant Navy, late British South Africa Police, who died as Captain of the Mora when the ship was wrecked on 8 February 1924

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Rhodesia (974 Tpr., B.S.A. Police); British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt.); Mercantile Marine 1914-18 (John W. Worthington), renamed; Victory Medal 1914-19 (Capt.), mounted as worn, extremely fine (5) £300-350

John Wilson Worthington was born in Eccles, Lancashire in 1874 and gained his Master Certificate of Competency, No.0013055, in Liverpool during 1909. He served as Mate aboard the Vennacher, 1909-10 and Rutherglen, 1913. During the early years of the Great War he served aboard the Kassala, 1914-15, on routes to France, Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean. On 20/21 March 1915 he was involved in the rescue of the crew from the torpedo boat 064 which ran into difficulties during a storm in the Aegean Sea. On 1 October 1916 he was appointed a Captain in the British Army and was employed with the Inland Water Transport for the remainder of the war. Returning to the Merchant Navy after the cessation of hostilities, he served aboard the War Fundy, 1919-20 and the Lady Bertha, 1920. In 1922 Worthington was appointed Captain of the F. C. Strick & Co’s ship Mora of 5,067 tons. On the 8 February 1924, carrying coal, en-route from Manchester via Rotterdam to Savona, the ship was wrecked on rocks near Cape St. Vincent. Captain Worthington and 16 of the crew were lost; 18 were saved.

Sold with an original handwritten letter from John W. Worthington to his father, dated 30 March 1915, in which he describes the rescue of crew from the torpedo boat 064.

‘While discharging coal at Port Said we got orders from Senior Naval Officer to head to sea & sail for Mudros Bay, Lemnos at the entrance of the Dardanelles. ... we were joined by a light cruiser and six torpedo boats. Received orders to steer alongside the cruiser & in case of need to ‘mother’ the T.B’s. All went well until Sat. March 20th when one of the T.B’s. carried away her steering gear ... we had orders to follow her. In the afternoon she was having a rough time of it ... 2.30p.m. she signalled “wish to abandon ship will you send boat’. Captain Smith signalled back “hang on all you can, too much sea for boat”. ... I had no trouble joining five volunteers ... I got away with them in the port lifeboat & made for the T.B., managed to get alongside for 30 seconds & two men jumped in, the rest were either too exhausted or too indifferent to jump although commanded by the officer in charge. We were then swept away and could not get back to her ...I returned with two men & bailed out boat ... but sea was too much & boat was unmanageable being nearly capsized twice ... We managed to make the “Kassala” at 5.00 ... “Kassala” then went after the T.B. ... So we have done a bit towards the war ...’

Also sold with a handwritten letter to the wife of Captain Worthington from a friend, dated 11 February 1924, which gives some details of the loss of the Mora.

‘Lilian dear, you will have a letter from Sticks Office this morning telling you the bad news of the Mora having got on the rocks at Cape St. Vincent at the south end of Portugal at 9.30 Friday night. The news was that at daylight on Saturday they would get the crew off her. I will tell you all I know about it. There evidently was a storm raging on the coast of Portugal for another boat got caught as well thereabouts & at 9.30 on Friday night, John sent an S.O.S. to Gibraltar to say they were on the rocks & needed help. Sticks boat the “Djerissa” went to her assistance .... Mrs Machen was very upset & perhaps suggested it was due to an error of judgement on the Captains part, but Mr Walker said, “No, I have the utmost confidence in Captain Worthington”. ... If you hear from John please wire me ... I just know the torture of mind you will be in ... Its not John’s fault, so no blame will attach to him, we must as soon as we can, reach him with our loving sympathy. ... Bless you, Thomas and I are speechless with sorrow, Lovingly, Muriel’.

With named Board of Trade forwarding slip and authority to wear certificate for the Mercantile Marine Medal, copied research and a South Africa Constabulary cap badge.