Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. Including a superb collection of medals to the King’s German Legion, Police Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin and a small collection of medals to the Irish Guards

Pair: Private A. Mortyn, 15th (Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles) Battalion, London Regiment

British War and Victory Medals (6649 Pte., 15-Lond. R.); together with an attractive silver and enamel regimental sweetheart brooch, inscribed on reverse ‘Dear mother from Gus, July 16th, 1916’; illuminated memorial scroll (Pte. Augustine Mortyn, London Regt.) this additionally inscribed ‘drowned 30.12.1917’; original photograph of recipient in uniform; transmission slip for medals; Buckingham Palace letter; and assorted newspaper cuttings and a postcard relating to the sinking of H.M.T. Aragon, extremely fine (3) £150-200

Josiah Augustin Mortyn was born on 3 May 1897, at First Tower in the Parish of St Helier, in the Island of Jersey. He was educated at Douai School, Woolhampton, near Reading, and was living or visiting with his aunt in Ilford when he enlisted into the 15th London Regiment, in London. He died at sea on 30 December 1917, when the Transport Aragon was torpedoed and sunk in the Eastern Mediterranean, just off Alexandria. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Chatby Memorial, Egypt.

Employed as an auxiliary transport, the Aragon, Captain F. Bateman, was bringing reinforcements to the Army operating in Palestine under General Allenby. The ship was full to capacity, having no less than 2700 persons aboard, of which number about 2500 were troops. On her arrival at Alexandria on December 30th, 1917, the ship was permitted to enter the harbour, but later was ordered out again. She anchored outside without any protection from submarine attack, for which she was an easy target. This piece of indiscretion on the part of the authorities did not remain long unpunished, for the Aragon was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine with a total loss of 610 persons, of whom 19 were crew, including Captain F. Bateman.

Sold with full research including, in addition to those items mentioned above, an original letter from H.Q. 15th London Regiment to his next-of-kin, and a Roll of Honour for Douai School which records that he had previously been wounded during the war.