April 11-13, 2023 Firearms and Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/13/2023
A seldom encountered medal group named to a father and son who were both killed in action during the same engagement during World War I. The group consists of 2 sets of medals, the first set consists of a Mercantile Marine War Medal impressed "ANDREW WALKER" and War Medal impressed "ANDREW WALKER". The other pair consists of the same medals, a Mercantile Marine War Medal impressed "JOHN WALKER" and War Medal impressed "JOHN WALKER". John, aged 44 at the time of his death, was father to Andrew, just 18 when he was killed. Both were sailors aboard the ill fated SS Normandiet, which was torpedoed by a U-Boat on 21 April 1918. The SS Normandiet was an armed merchant steamer with weight of, 1,843 gross tons and was certainly a misfortunate vessel. She was first attacked by a U-Boat torpedo, which missed, in the English Channel 30 June 1917. She was later attacked again in the Bristol Channel 14 August 1917 by a surfaced U-boat's deck gun, but drove the enemy submarine off with its own ship's gun. Finally, she was torpedoed without warning by submarine U-91 on 21 April 1918, 34 miles southwest by west from the Calf of Man, off the Isle of Man, while en-route from Bilbao to Glasgow with a cargo of iron ore. John, who was serving as a Boatswain, and Andrew, who held the rank of Sailor, are both listed as "drowned as a result of an attack by an enemy submarine" on the same day the vessel was sunk. A total of 19 lives were lost including the Master. CONDITION: Medals exhibit a light patina.
Item Dimensions: 10" X 7"