Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of seven miniature dress medals worn by Captain G. P. Stronach, Merchant Navy, who was awarded a G.C. for exceptional courage in rescuing a number of the ship’s crew of H.M.S. Ocean Voyager after she had been subjected to a rocket attack from Ju88 torpedo bombers in Tripoli Harbour, 19 March 1943

George Cross; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army [sic]; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Jubilee 1977, mounted court style as worn; together with original tailor’s receipt from Gieves & Hawkes made out to Captain G. P. Stronach, and dated 13.10.1977, and card packing box also addressed to recipient, nearly extremely fine (7) £600-800

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, May 2017 (when sold alongside the recipient’s full sized awards).

G.C. London Gazette 23 November 1943:
‘When the ship was lying in harbour, a severe aircraft attack developed and she was hit and at once caught fire. The vessel had a large consignment of petrol and ammunition on board, which was exploding heavily all the time and in spite of strenuous efforts which were made to fight the fire she had to be abandoned. The Master was killed by the explosion and the responsibility for further operations devolved on the Chief Officer.

He had been rendered temporarily unconscious but recovered almost immediately and went forward to look for survivors. He found a number of the crew sheltering in the alleyway and, braving the exploding ammunition, led them to a boat alongside which took them to safety. In order to provide for the transport of any other survivors who might be found, he then lowered another boat and brought it alongside the ship. Although the vessel was now burning furiously Mr. Stronach made his way to the officers' accommodation amidships. Finding a hose with a trickle of water coming through, he held this over his head and so kept himself sufficiently wet to protect him from the worst of the heat and flames. With great difficulty he climbed into the collapsed accommodation and found one of the deck officers, unconscious and badly burned. Mr. Stronach pulled him clear and dragged him along the deck to the lowered boat. Returning to the accommodation, he began to remove the debris from another officer who was trapped. By almost superhuman efforts he dragged the man through the porthole and along the deck. He then tied a rope around his waist and lowered him over the side to the boat.

As the situation was becoming desperate Mr. Stronach ordered a man to take the boat to safety and once again he returned amidships where he discovered an officer who had been severely injured. Dragging him along the deck to the side of the ship, he tied a rope around him and lowered him over the side on to a raft which had returned to the ship in response to his calls. Again Mr Stronach continued his search for survivors and, taking a final look round aft, he saw a greaser lying unconscious in the scuppers. He dragged this man to the side of the ship, but finding there was no raft or boat alongside, put a lifebelt around him and threw him overboard. When he was satisfied that there were no further survivors the Chief Officer jumped overboard and swam to a raft which, under his direction, returned to pick up the injured greaser. In the full knowledge that she was likely to blow up at any moment Chief Officer Stronach stayed on this burning vessel searching for survivors for an hour and twenty minutes. His inspiring leadership induced a number of the crew to get away and so saved their lives and by his gallant efforts, undertaken with utter disregard of his personal safety, he saved the lives of three officers and a greaser, all of whom were badly hurt. His action equals any in the annals of the Merchant Navy for great and unselfish heroism and determination in the face of overwhelming odds.’

George Preston Stronach was born near Lossiemouth, Scotland, on 4 December 1914, and was educated at Balnacoul Primary School in Mosstodloch and Milne’s Institution (now Milne’s High School) in Fochabers. As a young boy, he attended the Red Kirk Church of Scotland in Mosstodloch where one of his early responsibilities was pumping the air bellows for the church organ. On leaving school, and with the help of the local Minister Rev George Birnie, he secured a place at Gravesend Sea School in 1932, subsequently becoming a Deck Boy on the Albion Star in North Shields.

After two voyages he left this ship and enrolled at sea school to obtain his Efficient Deck Hand Certificate, following which he made nine voyages on the Pacific Exporter in the rate of Able Seaman. After passing the examination for 2nd Mate in 1937 he joined the Clan Line and was appointed 4th Officer on the Clan Mactavish, subsequently being promoted 3rd Officer on the Clan Macbean, taking his Mate’s exam in 1940, which he passed, becoming 2nd Officer aboard the Baron Stranraer (H. Hogarth & Sons). In March 1941 Stronach was promoted to Chief Officer, sitting his Master’s Certificate the following year and transferring to the Ocean Voyager in August 1942.

The Ocean Voyager had been built by a yard in Richmond, California for Britain's Ministry of War Transport, and was only three months old. She was managed by Hogarths and commanded by Captain D Mackellar. Loaded with military cargo, she sailed for the Middle East, proceeding via Takoradi, Cape Town, Suez and Port Said to the Palestinian port of Haifa. The British Eighth Army was then fighting its way westward in North Africa, and Tripoli was one of its major supply ports. Ocean Voyager became one of the ships servicing the route to that port from Alexandria, and her cargo on the voyage which began during the second week of March 1943 included a highly dangerous mix of 3000 tons of aviation spirit in drums and almost the same tonnage of ammunition. Ocean Voyager arrived at Tripoli on the 16th and anchored in the Roads close to the breakwater. Discharging into barges and other miscellaneous craft began almost immediately; for the Eighth Army were preparing to attack the Afrika Korp's Mareth Line less than 200 miles to the west, and the cargo was required urgently. On the 19th, with about half the cargo unloaded, three flights of German bombers and torpedo aircraft attacked the port. So low did some of the aircraft fly in that the blast from one of several bombs which struck Ocean Voyager caused one of the planes to hit the ship's foremast and crash alongside in flames. Other aircraft came in with cannon fire and very soon most parts of the ship were enveloped in flames. The bridge superstructure collapsed into No.2 hold, and it was probably then that Captain Mackellar lost his life, following which came Stronach’s G.C. winning exploits.

Following the action in Tripoli, and after a lengthy period of hospitalisation recovering from a back injury sustained during the action, Stronach relieved the First Mate of the Baron Inchcape at Hull. On 9 August 1944 he was appointed to the Clyde Pilotage Authority to become a licensed pilot and he continued in this capacity until 1 July 1968 when he became the Pilot Master. On taking up this position, with a thought to better equip himself, he studied Marine Law. In 1973 he was elected a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners. Captain Stronach retired from The Clyde Pilotage on 4 December 1979. During his working life he was involved with the deep sea port in Rotterdam, Peterhead Harbour Trust and the Faslane Submarine Base. He also played an integral part in developing the new pilot cutters on the Clyde. He died on 12 December 1999 and is buried in Acharacle Parish Church Cemetery.