Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Commander F. K. Thimm, Royal Naval Reserve and Mercantile Marine, late Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Chief Officer F. K. Thimm, I.F. Coy’s Str. Panthay); 1914-15 Star (Commr. F. K. Thimm, R.N.R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr. F. K. Thimm, R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal (Franz K. Thimm); Victory Medal 1914-19 (Commr. F. K. Thimm, R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R., silver and silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1911, contact marks to the first, otherwise good very fine (6) £500-£700

Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997.

Franz Thimm joined the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in 1885 and was Chief Officer of the paddle-steamer Panthay at the taking of Mandalay and the surrender of King Thebau’s army at Ava. He retired as a Captain in 1902 and was appointed Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve on 15 December 1904, and was also a Younger Brother of Trinity House. He retired with the rank of Commander, Royal Naval Reserve, having been awarded the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration in 1916.

The Panthay was designed by Messrs William Denny of Glasgow and engined by Rankin and Blackmore in 1876. She was 251 feet in length, 28 feet in width and had a draught of 7 feet. Her gross tonnage was 561 tons. She was broken up in January 1897 at Dalla.