Awarded to William Harvey. 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'. Ribbon missing.

William Harvey was born in the Plymouth area in about 1882. His parents were probably Selina Grace Spargo and Nicholas Arnold Allen. In early adulthood, William Harvey moved to Glasgow where he married Jeannie Brown in 1906 in Govan. The marriage certificate gives his father's name as William Harvey, Master Mariner. He worked as a merchant seaman through both World Wars and died on 4 September 1962 in Glasgow aged 79, then a retired bosun in the Mercantile Marine.

William Harvey, was a boatswain on SS 'Athenia' (Donaldson Atlantic Line Ltd) when this vessel was torpedoed on the 3 September 1939 by ‘U.30.’ There were 315 crew and 1, 108 passengers on board and fatalities numbered 128. Harvey organized the loading of passengers into lifeboats and with the chief officer went back to rescue a woman passenger who had been left behind in the hospital quarters.