Mercantile Marine War medal, 1914-1918

Awarded to Chief Engineer Alfred Tierney Gibson (1887-1957). 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: 'ALFRED T. GIBSON'. Fitted with a bar and light green and scarlet watered silk ribbon divided by a narrow white stripe. In original envelope of issue.

Alfred Tierney Gibson was born in Gateshead, the son of William Gibson, a master mariner. The family moved to Newport, South Wales shortly afterwards. He was active in the Merchant Service during both world wars, joining the Freemasons Lodge in Port Chalmers, New Zealand in 1916. During World War II he worked as Chief Engineer on ‘Dominion Monarch’ (Shaw, Savill & Albion) - a passenger and refrigerated cargo ship which carried troops, frozen food and mail between Australasia and the United Kingdom. He was made a Commander of the British Empire for this service in 1945.

He married Dora Ireland on 26 August 1921 near Newport and died in Greenwich, London.

Object Details

ID: MED2025
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: Gibson, Alfred Tierney
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm
Parts: Mercantile Marine War medal, 1914-1918