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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 466

(x) Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (James Bliss), good very fine

James Bliss, who was born at Hull in 1898 was killed in action whilst Fireman aboard the Prunelle on 22 August 1918 and is commemorated upon the Tower Hill Memorial.

Prunelle left London and set sail for Dundee on 22 August 1918 with a crew of 16 and a cargo of jute on board. One of the crew members, second officer Alfred Cheetham, had served on four Antarctic expeditions with Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton.

At 1.40pm on the same day as she had left London, Prunelle was targeted by the UB-112 when the ship was 2 nautical miles off Blyth, Northumberland. The U-boat fired a torpedo at the ship without warning and the torpedo hit her on the port side near the engine room. The following explosion and rapid sinking of the ship killed 12 of the 16 crewmen on board including Captain Storm, Second Officer Cheetham and Fireman Bliss.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£100

Starting price
£40