The Collection of Medals Formed by The Late Major David Evans, T.D.

Five: Private E. W. B. Wormell, Liverpool Regiment, and South African Constabulary, subsequently a Steward in the Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary, drowned during the Great War whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Caribbean

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (7734 Pte., Liverpool Regt.) first initial given as ‘C’ and surname spelt ‘Wormall’; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (3577 Tpr., S.A.C.); 1914-15 Star (Sto., M.F.A.); surname spelt ‘Wonnel’; British War and Victory Medals (Ch. Sto., M.F.A.); together with memorial plaque (Ernest William Benjamin Wormell) generally very fine or better (5) £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals Formed by The Late Major David Evans, T.D..

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Ernest William Benjamin Wormell died on 27 September 1915 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Caribbean. His name is commemorated on the Plymouth Memorial.

The following is extracted from Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During The Age of Steam, by Charles Hocking: ‘The liner Caribbean, purchased from the Union-Castle Line in 1913 by the R.M.S.P. Co., was well known on the Southampton-Cape run for nearly 15 years under her former name of Dunnottar Castle. In 1899 she carried General Sir Redvers Buller to take up supreme command in the South African War. She also conveyed Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener to the war a few months later...

At the outbreak of the First World War she served as a transport and then an auxiliary cruiser. On 26 September 1915, when on her way to Scapa she encountered very heavy weather off Cape Wrath which disabled her to such an extent that all attempts by the cruiser Birkenhead and several tugs to take her in tow had to be abandoned. She foundered at 7:30 on the morning of the 27th, taking with her 15 of her crew who could not be got off in time.’