award of medals

[Tony Walker]

I am writing up a wreck cover from HMT/SS Cestrian which was torpedoed en route to Alexandria from Salonika on 24 June 1917.

The ship was from the Leyland Line, built by Harland and Wolff in 1896, and used as a troop transport in WWI

Apparently the Captain, Edward Thomas was awarded the MBE for his exemplary actions in saving all but three of his crew when it was attacked.

My query is : surely an MBE is a civil honour, not a military one?  Does this mean the ship was not a HMT requisitioned by the Admiralty, but presumably just hired for the duration?  She was utilised from early in the war, transporting a record number of horses for instance from Egypt to Marseilles for the New Zealand Division in April 1916.

Happy New Year in Tier 4

Cheers
Tony

[Frank Schofield]

Tony

Refer you to WWII. Capt Mason of the Ohio  was awarded the George Cross, not the big one, on  the Pedestal Convoy, the same rules may have still applied

Frank

[Alan Baker]

Most references I have found in a short space of time suggest the ship retained its civil status. Ranks are not generally referred to as naval ones.

I found a similar situation with HMT Laomedon, which I posted on the forum some time ago

[Nick Colley]

Yes, I think even in war time he'd be a Merchant Navy captain, not Royal Navy, so a civilian honour would be correct.

chrs
N

[Graham Mark]

If Cestrian was a transport I think its master would hold an RNR or RNVR rank.
There is an Edward Thomas Lt RNR and there is a skipper RNVR in the October 1917 Navy List
The volume "Honours and Awards, Army Navy and Air Force 1914-1920" pub Hayward, London 1979 lists KBEs CBEs, OBEs and MBEs awarded to military folk and well as civilian employees (military in the wider sense of the term). Unfortunately this volume does not state the Gazette dates of awards.
Regards
Graham