A Sandsend Yorkshire, 'Master Mariners' World Wars campaign medal group of 7: Captain William Harland, Master Mariner, Mercantile Marine

- British War Medal. Silver issue (William Harland)
- Mercantile Marine War Medal (William Harland)
- The 1939-1945 Star
- The Atlantic Star
- The Africa Star. With clasp 'North Africa 1942-43'
- The Italy Star
- War Medal

All medals verified as entitled / issued per below medal rolls & medal index cards:

- British War Medal (Ref BT 351/1/58201)
- Mercantile Marine War Medal (Ref BT 351/1/58201)
- The 1939-1945 Star (Ref BT 395/1/40495)
- The Atlantic Star (Ref BT 395/1/40495)
- The Africa Star. 'North Africa 1942-43' (Ref BT 395/1/40495)
- The Burma Star (Ref BT 395/1/40495)
- War Medal (Ref BT 395/1/40495)

Note: The name William Harland is unique amongst the rolls of British Merchant Seaman who claimed their Second World War Campaign Medals

Sold together with a contemporary mounted riband bar for the British War Medal & Mercantile Marine War Medal. The reverse of the riband bar, retaining its original long hinged pin and clasp fittings, and as-worn by the recipient as a 'Master Mariner'

William Harland, son of John Henry Harland (a Mariner, Chief Engineer) & Mary Jane Harland (nee Johnston) was a native of, Sandsend, Whitby, Yorkshire, England, where he was born on, 11 August 1892. Like his father before him, William chose to make seafaring his chosen career, with his earliest seagoing voyage recorded as taking place in 1908, at which time he was 'Apprenticed' to a local Whitby based steamship company, viz, The Harrowship Steamship Company Limited'., which company's steamships plied foreign trades to the; Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Far East & Gulf of Mexico. Amongst William's earliest seagoing voyages - commencing in 1908 - were;

- 'Ethelbryhta', steamship of 1985 tonnage, 03/01/1908 to 03/01/1913 'Foreign Trade' capacity 'Apprentice'

- 'Ethelwynne', steamship of 2066 tonnage, 18/02/1913 to 30/06/1913 'Foreign Trade' capacity 'Able Seaman'

Evidently, William was a mariner of considerable ability, having been issued his 2nd Mate's Certificate on 15 August 1913; 1st Mate's Certificate on 21 August 1915, and his 'Master' Certificate for Foreign-going Steamship in September 1917. Prior to being made 'Master', William made many voyages during the Great War, during which he was the second ranked officer on all of his voyages. Amongst his war-time voyages 1914-1918 included;

- 'Elmina', steamship of 2996 tonnage, 18/08/1914 to 03/01/1914 'West Coast of Africa Trade' capacity '3rd Mate'

- 'Egba', steamship of 3024 tonnage, 14/11/1914 to 31/01/1915 'USA Trade' capacity '3rd Mate'

- 'Meltonian', steamship of 3024 tonnage, 19/02/1915 to 05/04/1915 'USA Trade' capacity '3rd Mate'

- 'Meltonian', steamship of 3024 tonnage, 13/04/1915 to 24/05/1915 'USA Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Meltonian', steamship of 3024 tonnage, 01/06/1915 to 22/07/1915 'West Indies Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Nestorian', steamship of 4074 tonnage, 08/09/1915 to 15/11/1915 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Atlantian', steamship of 6175 tonnage, 20/11/1915 to 20/11/1915 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 09/12/1915 to 07/02/1916 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 14/02/1916 to 02/05/1916 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 20/05/1916 to 13/07/1916 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 09/08/1916 to 11/10/1916 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 01/12/1916 to 29/01/1917 'Foreign Trade' capacity '2nd Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 20/02/1917 to 19/05/1917 'Foreign Trade' capacity '1st Mate'

- 'Albanian', steamship of 1875 tonnage, 19/05/1917 to 25/07/1917 'Foreign Trade' capacity '1st Mate'

Master Mariner, Captain William Harland, is reported to have died in England, on 18 December 1963. At the time of his death he had been resident at a Mariners Residential Home, or 'Alms House' run by the Mariners Charity 'Trinity House' at the address, Dreadnaught Wing, Trinity Homes, Grams Road, Walmer, Kent, England

The medals mounted suspended from their original silk ribands in the swing-style and as-worn by the recipient. The medal mounting bar retaining the original long hinged pin and clasp fittings

Sold together with some copied research

Condition: Mostly GVF

Code: 21300