War Medal 1939-45

Awarded to Commander Robert William Sumpton OBE, RD, RNR (1898-1979). Obverse: head of King George VI. Legend: 'GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX : F : D : INDIAE : IMP'. Reverse: A lion standing (left) on a prostrate dragon, its right paw resting on the latter's head. Inscription above: '1939 1945'. Fitted with a bar and blue ribbon with wide red borders and a narrow central red stripe with white borders. Emblem: an oak leaf for Mention in Despatches.

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.

Object Details

ID: MED1613
Collection: Coins and medals
Type: War medal
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Metcalfe, Percy; Carter-Preston, Edward
Events: World War II, 1939-1945
Date made: circa 1945
People: Sumpton, Robert William
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm