Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War D.S.C. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant William Worrall, Royal Naval Reserve, later Master and owner of the M.V. Hawarden Castle and lost with his ship when presumed sunk by enemy action in September 1939

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal (William Worrell); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal, together with registered packet for Great War medals, named condolence slip and card box of issue for Second War medals addressed to his wife, several photographs, Master’s certificate and other documents, extremely fine (8) £800-1000

D.S.C. London Gazette 17 April 1918: ‘In recognition of services in minesweeping operations between the 1st April and 31st December 1917.’

William Worrall was born in 1890 at Connahs Quay, Flintshire, and went to sea at the age of 12 with his grandfather, Captain Marrow, Master and owner of the Ryelands sailing ship, later becoming part owner and Master of the vessel. He obtained his foreign master’s certificate in steam in 1915, and served aboard the minesweeper H.M.S. Zaria throughout the war, from October 1915 until February 1919. After the war he served with various shipping lines and later with the Castle Line of Liverpool in the Far East. In about 1926 he purchased a three-masted sailing ship, the war prize Emma Linnemann, and renamed her the Hawarden Castle. In her he traded between Nieuport, Belgium, and Greenwich, thrice weekly. The Hawarden Castle departed Nieuport on 13 September 1939, loaded with cement and/or bricks, and failed to arrive at her destination. The cause of her loss was never established though the likelihood is that she was sunk by a submarine. Payment was eventually settled on 60% war and 40% marine.