A Small Collection of Medals to the Merchant Navy

A fine Second World War M.B.E., Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea pair awarded to Chief Officer B. Beavis, Merchant Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, in its Royal Mint case of issue; Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea (Chief Officer Bernard Beavis, M.V. “Anglo Canadian”, 6th April 1942), in its fitted case of issue, extremely fine (2) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals to the Merchant Navy.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 24 November 1942:

‘When sailing alone, the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft with torpedoes and bombs for over two hours. She was handled with great skill by her Master and her armament was used to good effect. Although she evaded all attacks by torpedo carriers, she was hit by a bomb and set on fire. By the persistence and courage of her fire-fighting parties, well led by the Chief Officer [Beavis] and Carpenter, she was saved.’

Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette 16 December 1943:

‘The ship, sailing alone, withstood attacks by Japanese aircraft for over two hours before she was hit by a bomb and set on fire. Throughout the action, Captain Williams managed his ship with outstanding skill and determination. Although they knew an unexploded bomb was somewhere nearby, and in spite of smoke and fumes which overcame three of the party, Chief Officer Beavis and Carpenter Bergstrom courageously led the fire fighters into the store-room. It was largely due to their efforts that the ship was saved. Later, the Master, the Chief Officer and the Carpenter carried the bomb ashore, where it was exploded.’

Bernard Beavis, who was born in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight in May 1908, was decorated for his gallantry as Chief Officer of the Anglo Canadian on 6 April 1942, when, as cited above, she was subjected to protracted attack in the Vizagapatam Roads, in the Bay of Bengal - a full account of the action appears in David Masters’ In Peril on the Sea, including mention of the bomb disposal incident:

‘The reason became plain later on when they started to remove a heap of sawdust in a corner. Lying underneath was a big unexploded bomb. A glance told Captain Williams that it was a time-bomb. It might go off at any moment. There was not a minute to lose. They must get it on deck and dispose of it as quickly as possible. Calling on the Chief Officer [Beavis] and Carpenter to help him, the three managed to carry the bomb up on deck, where they roped it off and put three men to guard it. Then the Captain sent for a bomb disposal expert to examine it.

After some time an officer came along. He was quite unflurried. Looking at the bomb he jotted down particulars in his notebook. “I will arrange for its disposal,” he said, and calmly took his departure.

It was to Captain Williams a tense situation. There was the time-bomb threatening instant destruction to ship and crew if it went off. No one had the slightest idea when zero hour would arrive. It might be seconds, or minutes, or hours. It can be imagined with what anxiety Captain Williams waited for the disposal squad to come along. The longer he waited the more disturbed he became. “The best thing we can do is to remove the bomb ourselves before it explodes on board,” he said at last to the Chief Officer. The latter agreed. He was as anxious as the Master to see the last of it. “Give me a hand,” said Captain Williams. Lifting the bomb between them, they managed to get it ashore and carry it to some waste ground, where they deposited it. They were two very brave men. For aught they knew a shattering explosion might have come at any moment to blow them to pieces. To save the ship and any loss of life among the crew they took the grave risk unto themselves. The bomb lay on the waste ground only forty yards away. If it went off now it might give them a bit of a shaking, but it could not destroy the ship. Having seen many bombs explode round the ship the previous day, they knew that a miss was as good as a mile.

Later on some Royal Engineers took the bomb to a field where they dumped it and left it to explode in its own time. It went off exactly 127.5 hours after hitting the ship. But no one was to know that. Of course the Japanese intended the bomb to explode shortly after impact, but it was either wrongly set or the mechanism was faulty.

In due course an account of the spirited defence of the Anglo-Canadian against the Japanese aircraft and the courageous action of the Captain, Chief Officer and Carpenter in removing the time-bomb filtered through to official quarters where the achievements of officers and crew were recognised by the award of the O.B.E. to Captain Williams, the M.B.E. to Chief Officer Beavis, the B.E.M. to Carpenter Bergstrom, the D.S.M. to Gunlayer R. Watson and Corporal A. F. Charlton and the B.E.M to greasers R. J. Dunn and A. E. Hayes while Captain D. J. Williams, Chief Officer B. Beavis and Carpenter Eugene Bergstrom who risked their lives to carry the bomb up on deck and dump it ashore were accorded the additional honour of Lloyd’s War Medal.’

Alas, the Anglo Canadian’s survival was short-lived, for she was torpedoed and sunk by the U-153 south-east of Bermuda in June 1942 - of her crew of 40 sailors and 10 gunners, one man was lost, and the survivors had to endure 14 days at sea in open boats, one commanded by the Chief Officer, until reaching St. Kitts; sold with a quantity of research, including the Master’s lengthy account of the loss of the Anglo Canadian and his crew’s subsequent journey to St. Kitts.