Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

Shanghai Soochow Creek Medal 1937, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘J. Obrien’, complete with old tricolour ribbon, good very fine and scarce £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the collection of Angela and the late Douglas Bertram.

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The Soochow Creek Medal was originally struck as a satirical decoration to commemorate the 1932 U.S. Marine defence of the international settlement at Shanghai. It was manufactured locally, probably by the firm of Tuck Chang, at 67 Broadway, Shanghai, and was available at a cost of $2.00 from various company offices and through the regimental newspaper Walla Walla. Likewise, during the 1937 emergency, the medal was revived and “awarded” to Marines and sailors who rallied to the cause. Whilst most of these medals are found named to American recipients, the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines were also present during the defence of Shanghai in 1937.