Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Sea Gallantry Medal group of eleven awarded to Captain W. A. F. Maltby, a Trinity House Pilot who for many years was “choice” pilot for the Orient Line: he was appointed an Assistant Officer in the Royal Naval Minewatching Service following his retirement as Senior Pilot at Dover between the Wars

Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., bronze (William A. F. Maltby, Wreck of the Blengfell, 17th Oct. 1898), an official “exchange issue” from the original large type; British War Medal and Mercantile Marine War Medals (William A. F. Maltby); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1911; Danish Order of Dannebrog, Frederick IX, Knight’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Danish Household Medal, Frederick IX, with crown, gilt, mounted as worn, generally good very fine (11) £1200-1500

Ex Spink, 22 June 1989 (Lot 232), when the following newspaper feature was reprinted in the catalogue, the headline reading: Senior Pilot to Retire - Captain Maltby’s 37 Years in the Service:

‘After 57 years at sea, 37 of them as a Trinity House Pilot, Captain W. A. F. Maltby, popular Senior Pilot, who lived in Dover for many years, retires at the end of this month.

Captain Maltby, who is seventy, now lives at “Orion”, Beach Street, Deal, and during his long service to the sea has served in practically every type of vessel from sailing ship to modern ocean-going liner.

Last year he succeeded Captain Douglas Magub as Senior Pilot at Dover, and in May was responsible for piloting the Danish ship Kron-princess Ingrid to the port on the occasion of the State Visit by King Frederick and Queen Ingrid. He has been “choice” pilot for the Orient Line for a number of years and he recently completed his last mission for the Line when he took the Orion - after which he has named his house - from Brixham to Tilbury at the end of her voyage from the Far East.

Up to the end of last year Captain Maltby had piloted 3332 ships into port. The vessels had an aggregate tonnage of well over eight million, and he had taken them 213,637 miles. At the recent trials of the liners Orcades and Oronsay, he was in attendance, and spent 36 hours on the bridge of the Oronsay without a break.

In addition to the service medals which he holds, Captain Maltby was awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in 1901 (sic) for his rescue of a man off Margate after a ship laden with naptha blew up. Last year he was decorated by the Danish King after he had piloted the Kron-princess Ingrid through the Channel.

For many years, while he lived in Dover, Captain Maltby occupied Belgrave House, 165 Folkestone Road.

Captain Maltby will not go into complete retirement, for he has just been appointed an Assistant Officer for the recently reformed Royal Naval Minewatching Service.’

In so far as the fate of the Blengfell is concerned, A Dictionary of Disasters at Sea states:

‘The iron sailing ship Blengfell, Captain J. Johnston, was on passage from New York to London with a cargo of petrol. On 17 October 1898, when off North Foreland, the petrol exploded and the vessel caught fire and sank. Captain Johnson and eight of the crew were drowned.’

Official Board of Trade records reveal that William Alfred Flower Maltby, who was born at Homerton, London in November 1881, qualified for his Master’s certificate in August 1910, and that he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star and War Medal 1939-45. He died at Deal in January 1956.