The Ron Penhall Collection

The Second World War blockade runner’s B.E.M. group of four awarded to Motorman W. Taylor, Merchant Navy, who participated in operations “Bridford” and “Moonshine” in 1943-45, a series of daring attempts to ship valuable commodities out of neutral Sweden: on one occasion he and his shipmates were treated to beer by the German Consul - ‘He knew who we were’

British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (William Taylor); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45, good very fine and better (4) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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B.E.M. London Gazette 17 July 1945:

‘For gallantry and initiative in hazardous circumstances’.

William “Aussie” Taylor, who hailed from Western Australia and joined the Merchant Navy in 1939, was one of the gallant volunteers drawn from Ellerman’s Wilson Line of Hull to man five specially adapted vessels - originally intended for the Turkish Navy - on blockade running duties to neutral Sweden. One of them, the Master Standfast, as part of “Operation Bridford”, fell into enemy hands on her very first trip.

Armed with Oerlikon and Vickers machine-guns, the ships were 117 feet long, had a cruising speed of 20 knots and could carry 45 tons of cargo each, and, in addition to their Merchant Navy crew of 20 men, were commanded by a Chief Officer appointed by Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.), who was responsible for security and the defensive armament. On the outward journey their cargo would comprise explosives, arms and ammunition, the whole intended for the Danish Resistance, via Sweden, while on the return trip they would carry valuable steel and ball bearings.

While Taylor was undoubtedly decorated for his part in “Operation Moonshine”, which actually employed three of these ships between September 1944 and the end of the War, an accompanying newspaper article confirms that he had earlier participated in “Operation Bridford” aboard the Nonsuch, which vessel made at least one successful crossing between October 1943 and March 1944, and had Commander Sir George Binney, R.N.V.R. along for the ride on a similar occasion - he was awarded a D.S.O. for this period of operations. He also served aboard another “Bridford” blockade runner, the Gay Corsair, the aforementioned newspaper source stating that on this occasion, in March 1944, his ship was engaged by enemy gunfire, ‘but we dodged them and got back to Sweden again.’ Indeed, as Taylor would recall, ‘the worst things were mines and German patrol vessels.’ In compensation, however, once in Sweden, the crew had an opportunity to make up for wartime rationing, Taylor even recalling an occasion when the German Consul sent beer over to him and his shipmates - ‘He knew who we were’.

For the purposes of “Moonshine”, however, Taylor was employed as a Motorman aboard the Hopewell, the other two vessels in the flotilla being his previous commission Nonsuch, and the Gay Viking. Sorties from their Humber base began in September 1944 but by the end of the year, largely owing to unfortunate combination of weather and tides, not a single vessel had reached its objective. In the New Year, however, the three ships were moved to Aberdeen, and on 13 January 1945 all of them reached Sweden, where they discharged a combined cargo of over 2,000 small arms and more than 2 million rounds of ammunition. On the return trip Hopewell and Gay Viking collided, the latter being so seriously damaged that she had to be abandoned after the scuttling charges had been fired - her crew being taken on board Hopewell. But the two remaining vessels safely reached port and landed a total of 63 tons of valuable steel and ball bearings.

One O.B.E., two M.B.E’s and five B.E.M’s were awarded for “Operation Moonshine”, as well as several M.I.D’s and commendations - it is interesting to note that the M.I.D’s were described as ‘for gallantry, pertinacity and devotion to duty whilst engaged in special operations in Northern Waters’.

Sold with a small quantity of original documentation, including Buckingham Palace B.E.M. forwarding letter, dated 31 May 1946 and letter of notification for the same award from the Director-General of the Ministry of War Transport, dated 16 July 1945, ‘for good services in M.V. Hopewell’; together with a wartime newspaper cutting (“Hull Men in Fast Boats Smash German Blockade”), and a series of three features published in the Hull Times in 1977, one of which is an exclusive interview with Taylor.

Provenance: Buckland, Dix and Wood, 10 October 1995 (Lot 443).