A Second War C.B.E. group of eight awarded to Captain H. Jackson, Merchant Navy, Commodore Master, Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company’s Fleet, who when in command of the S.S. Torinia, as part of convoy H.X.72, was torpedoed and sank in the North Atlantic on 21 September 1940

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with miniature width neck riband; British War Medal 1914-20 (Henry Jackson); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Henry Jackson); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine, scarce (8) £400-500

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1945: Captain Henry Jackson, O.B.E., Commodore Master, Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Fleet, Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Ltd.

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1942: Captain Henry Jackson, Master, Merchant Navy.

Henry Jackson was born in 1876 and having entered the Merchant Navy passed his examinations for Second Mate on 5 May 1896; 1st Mate on 8 March 1899; and received his Master’s Certificate on 29 January 1902. His first appointment was the Trocas on 13 May 1903. He served during the Great War in the S.S. Eburna, and during the Second World War in the S.S. Torinia, and was torpedoed and sank in the North Atlantic on 21 September 1940, 480 miles off the Irish coast. Jackson’s own account of the incident refers:
‘We were bound from Bermuda to the Clyde with a cargo of 13,815 tons of Admiralty fuel. Wireless was fitted and we were armed with a 4.7” gun and a 12 pounder. The ensign was not flying when we were attacked. The crew, including myself, numbered 55 of whom 5 men are missing. The confidential books were blown up and went down with the ship.
We left Bermuda on the 8th September 1940 in convoy H.X.72. The weather was fair with clear visibility and a moderate sea. We proceeded on a steady course until 21:19 G.M.T. on the 21st September when 480 miles from land the vessel was struck on the starboard beam. I was on the bridge and was thrown against the corner of the house. It was not a very heavy explosion, but made a sound like a deep boom.
The vessel listed slightly, but the engines kept going. Not long after this a signal was flashed to the convoy to scatter, which we did, and proceeded on an erratic course at a speed of 12 knots. Nothing occurred until 22:30 that night when there was a violent explosion this time on the port beam under the bridge in way of No. 5 tank, 245 feet from the bow. I was in the wheelhouse and was lifted off my feet, the compass bowl being also thrown into the air. I noticed a lot of small fire balls running along the deck immediately afterwards. The main deck and bridge deck superstructures on the port side, including the port forward lifeboat, were completely blown away and the ship was a mass of twisted metal amidships. Five men, who had been sheltering in the port forward lifeboat, are missing.
The vessel did not list this time and the engines still kept going at full speed, but the midship portion subsided rapidly and the bow and stern rose at the same time. The speed of the vessel was gradually reduced and eventually she stopped. There appeared to be imminent danger of her breaking her back so I ordered the crew to abandon ship in the 3 remaining life-boats. Communication between the bridge and the after end of the vessel was impossible owing to the submerged portion amidships. The crew and I got into the three life-boats, ands pulled clear of the ship. All three boasts attached themselves to each other we laid to on the sea anchor with the intention of remaining near the vessel until daylight. Some 4 or 5 hours later a vessel was sighted, which proved to be the Destroyer Skate, and we communicated with her by torch. After some time the Destroyer told us to pull alongside and eventually all hands were transferred. We were eventually landed at Londonderry at 09:00 on the 23rd September.’

The attack on the Torina occurred 480 miles off the Irish coast, just after the convoy’s escort, H.M.S. Jervis Bay, had detached herself in order to meet a west-bound convoy, and before the arrival of the Western Approaches force, and as a result was unprotected when attacked by U-100. The following month, whilst escort convoy H.X.84, H.M.S. Jervis Bay herself was sunk, in glory, whilst engaging the German warship Admiral Scheer, in an action that won her Captain, Edward Fegen, the Victoria Cross.

Jackson’s next command was that of the S.S. Delphinula, to which he was appointed on 21 March 1941. On 12 May, whilst in Liverpool, the vessel was hit by incendiary bombs; Jackson and the crew remained onboard and over the course of the next three days extinguished all the fires, for which he and the crew were granted a reward of £250. His final command of the Second World War was the S.S. Diplodon, and it was whilst serving in this vessel that he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for ‘Long and continuous service and devotion to duty.’

Advanced to C.B.E. in the 1945 New Year’s Honours List, whilst serving as Commodore Master of the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Fleet, after the War Jackson was appointed to the command of his 23rd vessel, the S.S. Niso, on 19 May 1947. He died at Bognor Regis, Sussex, on 4 November 1955.

Sold together with photographic images of the various vessels that Jackson served in, together with a photographic image of the recipient.

Approximately 8 C.B.E.s awarded to the Merchant Navy for World War II.