Mercantile Marine War medal, 1914-1918
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: 'DOUGLAS WEBB'. Fitted with a bar and light green and scarlet watered silk ribbon divided by a narrow white stripe. In complate original packaging (box and envelopes) with spare ribbon.
Douglas Blunt Webb (1891-1975) was born at Catford, the son of Frank Webb, a warehouseman. He was a cadet on the training ship HMS ‘Conway’ at Liverpool during 1904-1907 and then an apprentice with H. Hogarth & Sons (Baron Line) of Glasgow. During the period 1914-1920 he was employed as bosun on the passenger/cargo liners ‘Opawa’ (1906), ‘Otaki’ (1908) and ‘Pararoa’ (1899) owned by The New Zealand Shipping Co. He was on the ‘Otaki’ at the time of her sinking by the German auxiliary cruiser ‘Moewe’ on 10 March 1917. A defensively armed cargo ship, ‘Otaki’ inflicted sufficient damage to ‘Moewe’ to set her coal bunkers on fire. Five of ‘Otaki’s’ crew died during the action or while abandoning ship, the rest were taken on board the German vessel and spent the rest of the war at Brandenburg as prisoners of war.
By 1939, Webb was living in Ilford, married to Ida Mabel (Harvey) and working as a warehouseman. He died in nearby Redbridge.
Douglas Blunt Webb (1891-1975) was born at Catford, the son of Frank Webb, a warehouseman. He was a cadet on the training ship HMS ‘Conway’ at Liverpool during 1904-1907 and then an apprentice with H. Hogarth & Sons (Baron Line) of Glasgow. During the period 1914-1920 he was employed as bosun on the passenger/cargo liners ‘Opawa’ (1906), ‘Otaki’ (1908) and ‘Pararoa’ (1899) owned by The New Zealand Shipping Co. He was on the ‘Otaki’ at the time of her sinking by the German auxiliary cruiser ‘Moewe’ on 10 March 1917. A defensively armed cargo ship, ‘Otaki’ inflicted sufficient damage to ‘Moewe’ to set her coal bunkers on fire. Five of ‘Otaki’s’ crew died during the action or while abandoning ship, the rest were taken on board the German vessel and spent the rest of the war at Brandenburg as prisoners of war.
By 1939, Webb was living in Ilford, married to Ida Mabel (Harvey) and working as a warehouseman. He died in nearby Redbridge.
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Object Details
ID: | MED1627 |
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Collection: | Coins and medals |
Type: | War medal |
Display location: | Not on display |
Creator: | Mackennal, Edgar Bertram; Stabler, Harold |
Events: | World War I, 1914-1918 |
Date made: | 1919 |
People: | Webb, Douglas Blunt |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
Measurements: | Overall: 36 mm |
Parts: | Mercantile Marine War medal, 1914-1918 |