Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, silver (To William Carty, S.S. “Arabic”, 19th Augt. 1915), good very fine £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to Merchant Seamen and D.E.M.S. Gunners.

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William Carty was serving as an Engineer aboard the White Star Line’s Arabic at the time of winning his Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Medal in silver on 19 August 1915, on which date the ship was torpedoed by the U-24 off the Old Head of Kinsale - struck on the starboard side, near the stern, she went down in about ten minutes. Owing to the the discipline and seamanship of the officers and crew, 385 people were saved, and of the 47 who lost their lives, over half were members of the crew. Carty was cited for ‘exceptionally good work in rescuing passengers, a considerable number owing their lives to the skill and resourcefulness of their rescuers.’

Captain William Finch, R.N.R. was awarded a clasp to his earlier Gold Medal, and in addition to Carty, three other Engineers received the Silver Medal.

Some of the deceased passengers were United States citizens, as a result of which an official complaint was sent by that nation to the German ambassador, Count Bernstorff. Initially the response was based on evidence given by the U-24’s captain, who stated that the torpedo was fired in self defence because the Arabic had attempted to ram - in fact she was merely following the usual zig-zag course adopted by merchant ships in such dangerous waters. However, at length, the Germans dropped this rather poor defence, and opted instead to respond to the American Secretary of State with an assurance that no further submarine attacks would be made against passenger ships. As had been the case with the Lusitania, however, it proved to be a hollow promise.

Sold with an original picture postcard of the Arabic, as sent from Queenstown, Ireland, in January 1905, together with a file of research, including an extensive report regarding events of 19 August 1915.