Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Engineer William J. Barrett, Merchant Navy, 2nd Engineer aboard the American Ladies Hospital Ship Maine during the Boer war and Boxer rebellion

Transport 1899-1902, 2 clasps, China 1900, S. Africa 1899-1902 (J. Barrett) note single initial but as given on the roll; British War and Mercantile Marine Medals (William J. Barrett) official correction to part of surname, together with hospital ship Maine white metal commemorative medal, nearly extremely fine and rare (4) £2500-3000

The group is sold with a good archive of original documents and photographs, including Continuous Certificate of Discharge (2), Certificate of Competency as First Class Engineer, numerous certificates of recommendation (including those of the Master and Chief Engineer of the Maine), and declaration of U.S. citizenship (1906).

William John Barrett was born in London in 1871 and was apprenticed to Lester & Perkins, Shipwrights, from January 1888 for the next six years. In 1893 he joined the Atlantic Transport Line, an American company formed in 1881 but which found it economical to operate its ships under the British flag. Barrett served in the Atlantic Transport steamers as Junior Engineer from December 1893 to June 1897 as 5th, 4th, and 3rd Engineer, and from August 1897 to July 1901 as 2nd Engineer. He was 2nd Engineer of the American Ladies Hospital Ship U.S.S. Maine from September 1899 until January 1903, during which period he saw service in South Africa and China.

The Maine was originally the Atlantic Transport Line steamer Swansea, renamed in 1899 and lent to the British Government as a hospital ship for use in the Boer war and later in China during the Boxer rebellion. The Maine was fitted out as a hospital ship in London by Messrs. Fletcher & Son and Fearnall Ltd, the costs being met by the American Ladies Hospital Ship Fund who struck a special medal to help with their fund raising. As well as the few merchant officers who received the Transport medal for their services aboard the Maine, either in South Africa or China, or both, a small number of St John Ambulance Brigade personnel also received the Q.S.A. (11) or China Medal (14), the majority receiving both medals.