Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Shanghai emergency pair awarded to Able Seaman D. C. Morton, Royal Navy

Shanghai Soochow Creek Medal 1937, bronze, the reverse engraved, ‘D. C. Morton, A.B.’, complete with original tricolour riband and upper suspension brooch-bar; Royal Naval Barracks Chatham, General Efficiency Medal for New Entries, silver, hallmarks for Birmingham 1933, the obverse cartouche engraved, ‘D. C. Morton’, good very fine (2) £350-400

The Soochow Creek Medal was originally struck as a satirical decoration to commemorate the 1932 U.S. Marine defence of the international settlement at Shanghai. It was manufactured locally, probably by the firm of Tuck Chang, at 67 Broadway, Shanghai, and was available at a cost of $2.00 from various company offices and through the Regimental Newspaper Walla Walla. Likewise, during the 1937 emergency, the medal was revived and “awarded” to Marines and sailors who served during that emergency. Whilst most of these medals will be found named to American recipients, the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines were also present during the defence of Shanghai in 1937 and just occasionally examples may be found inscribed to them.