A Superb Captain’s LLOYDS SEA BRAVERY MEDAL
&
“Kings Commendation for Brave Conduct”(1940)
Mercantile Marine WWI Trio (MID) Royal Indian Marine
&
WW2 ATLANTIC STAR & ARCTIC STAR
Polish Cross of Valour
Killed in Action SS. ARANDORA STAR
U-47 SINKING, 2nd July 1940
Wife’s QAIMNSR 1914-15 trio with M.I.D.
[THE MEDALS]
LLOYDS MEDAL FOR BRAVERY AT SEA ”Posthumous”
(Only 541 awards during WW2 and only 60 posthumously awarded)
(Officially Engraved)
CAPTAIN E.W. MOULTON. SS ARANDORA STAR. 2nd JULY 1940.
[CITATION]
For their actions on that day, Captain Moulton as well as three of his officers - 1st officer Frederick Bertram Brown, 2nd officer Stanley Ranson and 4th officer Ralph Liddle were all awarded the Lloyds Medal for Bravery at Sea - of these men only 1st officer F.B. Brown survived.
The Lloyds citation reads:
“Having done all they could to save life and having no boat or raft to save themselves, they took to the water as the vessel sank”
War Medal:
LIEUT E.W. MOULTON. R.I.M.
Mercantile Marine Medal:
EDGAR WALLACE MOULTON
Victory Medal:
LIEUT E.W. MOULTON. R.I.M.
(Mentioned in Despatches, India, M.E.F.)
8th March 1918
(Mesopotamia Campaign)
(Naval Mentions-Inland Water Transport)
1939-1945 Star
Atlantic Star
Arctic Star
War Medal
(King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, GVI)
L.G. 28th October 1940. “Posthumous”
Polish Cross of Valour
L.G. 21st October 1941. ”Posthumous”
[BIOGRAPHY]1886-1940
Edgar Wallace Moulton was born in Liverpool on 18th June 1886, and had been “at sea” from about August 1902, starting straight from school at about the age of 16 and was fast gaining his initial experience in an effort to obtain his various essential professional maritime qualifications.
Second Mate Certificate: 7th February 1907 (21)
First Mate Certificate: 3rd September 1908 (22)
Master’s Certificate: 1st October 1910 (24)
By the time he qualified for his Master’s ticket in 1910 he had been at sea for just over 8 years at the age of 24 and had latterly been serving as 3rd, 2nd & 1st Mate for almost two years in S.S. LA BLANCA out of Liverpool.
He was 5ft 9” tall, with a fresh complexion, Blue eyes & Brown hair and was a very well known local figure in Liverpool.
At the age of 29 upon the outbreak of the Great War he was a commissioned member of the RNVR serving as a Sub Lt. on 20th May 1915. This commission was cancelled just under a month later on 15th June 1915 (LG) as he apparently accepted a full time commission into the R.I.M. (Royal Indian Marine) which practically was the latest of the many previous names for “The Royal Indian Navy”. His War & Victory medals are indeed both impressed to the R.I.M.
Toward the end of WW1 he was mentioned in despatches on 2nd November 1917 and left the military service and returned to the mercantile marine & U.K. civilian merchant fleet and through the 1920’s & 1930’s became a very experienced Sea Captain.
From this point onwards he served exclusively with the Blue Star Line as a Master of several of the company’s then ‘state of the art’ refrigerated ships. These vessels traded between the United Kingdom and Argentina with Corned Beef.
In April 1927 he captained the S.S. AVILA, another Blue Star vessel on her maiden voyage to South America, on the company’s route between London and Buenos Aires via Boulogne, Madeira, Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Montevideo.
The S.S.AVILA was also torpedoed in 1942 with instantly catastrophic & fatal results.
On the evening of 5 July the German submarine U-201 (Oblt. Adalbert Schnee) started following Avila. At 00:36 on 6 July by Berlin Time, 90 miles (140 km) east of São Miguel in the Azores, the submarine hit Avila's starboard side with two G7e torpedoes, one of which detonated in her boiler room.
Many of the the crew perished and further great suffering was caused to many of the initial survivors, many of whom were lost and buried at sea from the lifeboats.
Some small number of the eventual lifeboat survivors were at sea for many days before being seen and rescued.
The Blue Star Line, was owned by the Vestey Brothers, also of Liverpool, who were the owners of a massive international meat business, and later the owners of the famous Dewhurst butchery chain. The company still has links to this day inside other maritime businesses.
Captain Moulton then had a short, exciting but finally tragic career in WW2 when he assumed command of the SS ARANDORA STAR.
The ship had previously served as a Blue Star Luxury civilian cruise liner and had been pressed into military service as a troop ship and evacuation vessel.
At the start of WW2 on 12th September 1939 the ARANDORA STAR of which he was Captain had just docked in New York having sailed from Southampton.
Early in the war the ship was converted to undertake evacuation duties and he took the ship to HARSTED in Norway (68o, 40’00 North ) which is just above the Arctic Circle at 66o 32’ North). Here the SS ARANDORA STAR rescued 1600 RAF personnel, with some French & Polish troops who had been cut off by the German advance & occupation.
For this voyage he is posthumously entitled to the recently promulgated Arctic Star, a genuine example of which is now proudly included with his superb group.
Some months later he was also instrumental in a further rescue of a large number of Polish troops from France at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where they had become trapped. This is right on the Spanish-French border close to Biarritz. There she swiftly embarked roughly 3,000 troops and refugees, including the Polish staff, and left just in time as Luftwaffe bombers approached and bombed the port and town. Following Marshal Pétain's call for an armistice on the outset of World War II, a coastal fringe of the Basque Country fell into the German occupation area. Before the agreement was enforced, the retreating Polish Army was evacuated from the town in mid June 1940 by SS ARANDORA. She took her grateful evacuees to Liverpool.
For his gallant actions involving the two rescues of Polish personnel he was posthumously awarded the “Polish Cross of Valour” by the Polish Government in exile, London, during 1941 (LG, 21st October 1941)
At 07.58 hours on 2 July 1940 the unescorted Arandora Star (Master Edgar Wallace Moulton) out of Liverpool, was seen and targeted by U-47 which was at the time returning to Germany after an Atlantic patrol. She was hit by one torpedo from U-47 (Oblt Gunther Prien) about 125 miles west by north of Malin Head, Co. Donegal and foundered later in 56°30N/10°38W.
The ship was en route to Canada with a compliment of 479 German internees, 734 Italian internees, 86 German prisoners-of-war and 200 military guards on board. The ship’s Captain Edgar W. Moulton was lost in the sinking along with 12 of his officers, 42 merchant crewmen, 37 army guards, 470 Italians and 243 Germans.
The fortunate survivors,119 crew members, 163 guards and 586 Italians and Germans were picked up by HMCS St. Laurent (H83) Cdr H.G. De Wolf, RCN and were landed at Greenock, Scotland.
[Medals to Mrs P.J. MOULTON] Wife of Capt E.W. Mouton,nee Miss P.J. Selfe
Prior to Mrs Moulton marrying Edgar Moulton she had been a Staff Nurse serving in Egypt & other foreign postings with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve. She entered the Egyptian theatre in July 1915 as Staff Nurse Pricilla Jane Selfe. She married Edgar Moulton on 22nd February 1919 at Karachi, India. She was described as “Nursing Sister of 30 in QAIMNSR & he as Master Mariner & Temp Lieut R.I.M.
Sister Selfe earned a very rarely seen 1914-15 Star Trio (with an M.I.D.) S/ NURSE P.J. SELFE. Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.
This is an historically important & highly desirable WW1 & WW2 Royal Indian Marine & Merchant Navy “Double Gallantry”assembly.
Awarded to a man who sadly perished in one of the most infamous merchant vessel torpedo sinkings, the SS ARANDORA STAR was one of the largest merchant ships lost to enemy U-Boat action during WW2.
Four months after his death Captain Moulton received a posthumous King’s Commendation For Brave Conduct in the London Gazette of 28th October 1940, (later signified by an Oak Leaf Emblem to the War Medal) but quite why he wasn’t also awarded a formal British military gallantry award actually defeats us.
This exceptional grouping comes with an outstanding and comprehensive file of research papers running to over 75 pages, which is an excellent volume of work by our research department.
A unique, superb & unrepeatable husband & wife grouping fit for the finest collection.
SOLD (EXPORT)
[THE MEDALS]
LLOYDS MEDAL FOR BRAVERY AT SEA ”Posthumous”
(Only 541 awards during WW2 and only 60 posthumously awarded)
(Officially Engraved)
CAPTAIN E.W. MOULTON. SS ARANDORA STAR. 2nd JULY 1940.
[CITATION]
For their actions on that day, Captain Moulton as well as three of his officers - 1st officer Frederick Bertram Brown, 2nd officer Stanley Ranson and 4th officer Ralph Liddle were all awarded the Lloyds Medal for Bravery at Sea - of these men only 1st officer F.B. Brown survived.
The Lloyds citation reads:
“Having done all they could to save life and having no boat or raft to save themselves, they took to the water as the vessel sank”
War Medal:
LIEUT E.W. MOULTON. R.I.M.
Mercantile Marine Medal:
EDGAR WALLACE MOULTON
Victory Medal:
LIEUT E.W. MOULTON. R.I.M.
(Mentioned in Despatches, India, M.E.F.)
8th March 1918
(Mesopotamia Campaign)
(Naval Mentions-Inland Water Transport)
1939-1945 Star
Atlantic Star
Arctic Star
War Medal
(King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, GVI)
L.G. 28th October 1940. “Posthumous”
Polish Cross of Valour
L.G. 21st October 1941. ”Posthumous”
[BIOGRAPHY]1886-1940
Edgar Wallace Moulton was born in Liverpool on 18th June 1886, and had been “at sea” from about August 1902, starting straight from school at about the age of 16 and was fast gaining his initial experience in an effort to obtain his various essential professional maritime qualifications.
Second Mate Certificate: 7th February 1907 (21)
First Mate Certificate: 3rd September 1908 (22)
Master’s Certificate: 1st October 1910 (24)
By the time he qualified for his Master’s ticket in 1910 he had been at sea for just over 8 years at the age of 24 and had latterly been serving as 3rd, 2nd & 1st Mate for almost two years in S.S. LA BLANCA out of Liverpool.
He was 5ft 9” tall, with a fresh complexion, Blue eyes & Brown hair and was a very well known local figure in Liverpool.
At the age of 29 upon the outbreak of the Great War he was a commissioned member of the RNVR serving as a Sub Lt. on 20th May 1915. This commission was cancelled just under a month later on 15th June 1915 (LG) as he apparently accepted a full time commission into the R.I.M. (Royal Indian Marine) which practically was the latest of the many previous names for “The Royal Indian Navy”. His War & Victory medals are indeed both impressed to the R.I.M.
Toward the end of WW1 he was mentioned in despatches on 2nd November 1917 and left the military service and returned to the mercantile marine & U.K. civilian merchant fleet and through the 1920’s & 1930’s became a very experienced Sea Captain.
From this point onwards he served exclusively with the Blue Star Line as a Master of several of the company’s then ‘state of the art’ refrigerated ships. These vessels traded between the United Kingdom and Argentina with Corned Beef.
In April 1927 he captained the S.S. AVILA, another Blue Star vessel on her maiden voyage to South America, on the company’s route between London and Buenos Aires via Boulogne, Madeira, Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Montevideo.
The S.S.AVILA was also torpedoed in 1942 with instantly catastrophic & fatal results.
On the evening of 5 July the German submarine U-201 (Oblt. Adalbert Schnee) started following Avila. At 00:36 on 6 July by Berlin Time, 90 miles (140 km) east of São Miguel in the Azores, the submarine hit Avila's starboard side with two G7e torpedoes, one of which detonated in her boiler room.
Many of the the crew perished and further great suffering was caused to many of the initial survivors, many of whom were lost and buried at sea from the lifeboats.
Some small number of the eventual lifeboat survivors were at sea for many days before being seen and rescued.
The Blue Star Line, was owned by the Vestey Brothers, also of Liverpool, who were the owners of a massive international meat business, and later the owners of the famous Dewhurst butchery chain. The company still has links to this day inside other maritime businesses.
Captain Moulton then had a short, exciting but finally tragic career in WW2 when he assumed command of the SS ARANDORA STAR.
The ship had previously served as a Blue Star Luxury civilian cruise liner and had been pressed into military service as a troop ship and evacuation vessel.
At the start of WW2 on 12th September 1939 the ARANDORA STAR of which he was Captain had just docked in New York having sailed from Southampton.
Early in the war the ship was converted to undertake evacuation duties and he took the ship to HARSTED in Norway (68o, 40’00 North ) which is just above the Arctic Circle at 66o 32’ North). Here the SS ARANDORA STAR rescued 1600 RAF personnel, with some French & Polish troops who had been cut off by the German advance & occupation.
For this voyage he is posthumously entitled to the recently promulgated Arctic Star, a genuine example of which is now proudly included with his superb group.
Some months later he was also instrumental in a further rescue of a large number of Polish troops from France at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where they had become trapped. This is right on the Spanish-French border close to Biarritz. There she swiftly embarked roughly 3,000 troops and refugees, including the Polish staff, and left just in time as Luftwaffe bombers approached and bombed the port and town. Following Marshal Pétain's call for an armistice on the outset of World War II, a coastal fringe of the Basque Country fell into the German occupation area. Before the agreement was enforced, the retreating Polish Army was evacuated from the town in mid June 1940 by SS ARANDORA. She took her grateful evacuees to Liverpool.
For his gallant actions involving the two rescues of Polish personnel he was posthumously awarded the “Polish Cross of Valour” by the Polish Government in exile, London, during 1941 (LG, 21st October 1941)
At 07.58 hours on 2 July 1940 the unescorted Arandora Star (Master Edgar Wallace Moulton) out of Liverpool, was seen and targeted by U-47 which was at the time returning to Germany after an Atlantic patrol. She was hit by one torpedo from U-47 (Oblt Gunther Prien) about 125 miles west by north of Malin Head, Co. Donegal and foundered later in 56°30N/10°38W.
The ship was en route to Canada with a compliment of 479 German internees, 734 Italian internees, 86 German prisoners-of-war and 200 military guards on board. The ship’s Captain Edgar W. Moulton was lost in the sinking along with 12 of his officers, 42 merchant crewmen, 37 army guards, 470 Italians and 243 Germans.
The fortunate survivors,119 crew members, 163 guards and 586 Italians and Germans were picked up by HMCS St. Laurent (H83) Cdr H.G. De Wolf, RCN and were landed at Greenock, Scotland.
[Medals to Mrs P.J. MOULTON] Wife of Capt E.W. Mouton,nee Miss P.J. Selfe
Prior to Mrs Moulton marrying Edgar Moulton she had been a Staff Nurse serving in Egypt & other foreign postings with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve. She entered the Egyptian theatre in July 1915 as Staff Nurse Pricilla Jane Selfe. She married Edgar Moulton on 22nd February 1919 at Karachi, India. She was described as “Nursing Sister of 30 in QAIMNSR & he as Master Mariner & Temp Lieut R.I.M.
Sister Selfe earned a very rarely seen 1914-15 Star Trio (with an M.I.D.) S/ NURSE P.J. SELFE. Q.A.I.M.N.S.R.
This is an historically important & highly desirable WW1 & WW2 Royal Indian Marine & Merchant Navy “Double Gallantry”assembly.
Awarded to a man who sadly perished in one of the most infamous merchant vessel torpedo sinkings, the SS ARANDORA STAR was one of the largest merchant ships lost to enemy U-Boat action during WW2.
Four months after his death Captain Moulton received a posthumous King’s Commendation For Brave Conduct in the London Gazette of 28th October 1940, (later signified by an Oak Leaf Emblem to the War Medal) but quite why he wasn’t also awarded a formal British military gallantry award actually defeats us.
This exceptional grouping comes with an outstanding and comprehensive file of research papers running to over 75 pages, which is an excellent volume of work by our research department.
A unique, superb & unrepeatable husband & wife grouping fit for the finest collection.
SOLD (EXPORT)