Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Cooper G. H. Case, Royal Navy, killed in action on H.M.S. Bayano, 11 March 1915

1914-15 Star (133808 Cpr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (133808 Cpr., R.N.) good very fine (3) £140-180

Cooper George Henry Case, Royal Navy, was killed in action on the auxiliary cruiser H.M.S. Bayano, 11 March 1915, aged 55 years. He was the son of George Henry Case of 42 Haverstock Road, Knowle, Bristol.

The liner Bayano was taken over early in the war for service as an auxiliary cruiser. On 11 March 1915, en route to Liverpool to take on coal, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-27 (Lt-Cmdr. Wegener) 10 miles N.W. by W. of Corsewall Point, near Stranraer, Scotland. Sinking rapidly, only 4 officers and 22 ratings were saved and 14 officers and 181 ratings were killed. The S.S. Castlereagh arriving on scene shortly afterwards was prevented from making a search for survivors by the submarine.