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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 891

The Great War pair, Bronze Memorial Plaque and Royal Humane Society Honorary Testimonial Certificate awarded to Able Seaman W. V. Dee., Mercantile Marine Reserve, who dived overboard attempting to save a drowning sailor

British War and Victory Medals 1914-18 (W. V. Dee. A.B. M.F.A.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (William Victor Dee), in original card case of issue, with the recipient's Royal Humane Society Honorary Testimonial Certificate on vellum, signed by the Vice-President, Secretary and Chairman, nearly extremely fine (3)

William Victor Dee was born at Hull on 8 April 1895, the son of Frederick and Florence Dee of 9 Belvoir Street, Prince's Avenue. During the Great War he served aboard H.M.S. Killingholme, an old Humber ferry which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a Fleet Messenger. On 8 April 1915, while Killingholme was cruising in the Humber Estuary, Dee spotted a drowning sailor and dived overboard to save him. The sailor, a Humber pilot named J. R. Brown, unfortunately drowned. Dee was awarded an Honorary Testimonial Certificate by the Royal Humane Society on 8 June that year. On 27 April 1916, Killingholme struck a German mine off the Humber and was severely damaged, losing 18 crewmen killed. Dee lost his life during this incident. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and Kingston upon Hull War Memorial. Killingholme went on to become an important seaplane carrier; sold with copied CWGC Certificate.

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Sold for
£300

Starting price
£140