Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Pair: Captain H. L. Bucknall, Indian Army

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1919-21 (Capt., 2-41 Dogras); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful), (H. L. Buchnall, 27th Nov.1916), mounted Court style for display, first with edge bruise, good very fine (2) £160-200

‘On the 27th November 1916, the S.S. City of Birmingham was sunk by a German submarine in the Mediterranean. N. Hugh-Jones, R. V. Fox, and N. H. Bucknall, Cadets, acted with great gallantry and succeeded in saving three lives.’ (R.H.S. Case 43,252)

The Ellerman Line S.S. City of Birmingham, of 7,498 tons, was built in 1911. Commanded by Captain W. J. Haughton, the ship with a crew of 145, carried 170 passengers of whom about 90 were women and children. On 27 November 1916, when in the Atlantic, 126 miles from land, the ship was struck by a torpedo from a submarine. The ship immediately began to sink by the stern and the Captain ordered out the boats. Discipline was excellent and within ten minutes most of the passengers and crew were in the boats, despite the heavy swell. Captain Haughton went down with his ship but managed to swim to the surface and was picked up half an hour later. The loss of lives was small, limited to four members of the crew. About three hours after the attack the boats were picked up by a British steamship.

Hugh Livingstone Bucknall was born on 26 June 1898. He served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Indian Army from 25 June 1917, being promoted Lieutenant in 1918 and Captain in 1921. Sold with some copied research details.