Awarded to Commander Robert William Sumpton OBE, RD, RNR (1898-1979). Obverse: Head of King George V (left). Legend: 'GEORGIVS V BRITT : OMN : REX ET IND : IMP:'. Reverse: Within a laurel garland in relief, the bow view of a drifter, a ship in the distance (right).Exergue: 'FOR WAR SERVICE MERCANTILE MARINE 1914-1918'. Inscription on edge: 'ROBERT W SUMPTON'. Fitted with a bar and light green and scarlet watered silk ribbon divided by a narrow white stripe.

Robert William Sumpton was the son of Tom Sumpton, a Hull sloopman. Robert joined the Merchant Service as an apprentice in 1913. During World War 1 he served in ‘Bronwen’ and after being discharged from his apprenticeship, on SS ‘Wrexham’ of Grimsby, owned by the Great Central Railway, as 2nd mate. During the interwar period, he worked for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. gaining a Master’s Certificate in Hull on 8 August 1924. From 1929 he worked on ships owned by the Prince Line and from 1936 for the Suez Canal Lighterage Company, Port Said. He was also an RNR officer, gaining the rank of Sub-Lieutenant on 18 June 1925 and Lieutenant on 3 April 1926. He retired with the Rank of Lieutenant-Commander in 1937 but served throughout the Second World War attached to HMS ‘Stag’ - the Royal Naval shore base in Port Said. He was mentioned in despatches (‘London Gazette’ 11 December 1945) and awarded the Order of the British Empire (‘London Gazette’ 13 June 1946). In 1957 he was back in the United Kingdom as Marine and Technical Advisor to Howard, Holder and Partners. He died in London.

He married Edith Annie Haldenby in 1922.