Great War 1914-1915 Star trio awarded to Assistant Engineer, later Engineer Lieutenant W.C. Martin, Royal Naval Reserve who would see service aboard the armed yacht Vanessa during the Great War.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (ASST.ENGR. W.C. MARTIN. R.N.R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (ENG.LT. W.C. MARTIN. R.N.R.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
W.C. Martin would see service during the Great War and was appointed an Assistant Engineer aboard the Armed Yacht Vanessa on 29th October 1914 before later being promoted to Engineer Lieutenant.
The Steam Yacht Vanessa had been built at Leith by Ramage & Ferguson in 1899 as the Golden Eagle, but when sold to Mr Arthur Bowley of Harlow she was renamed Vanessa. She measured 356 gross tons.
Vanessa would be loaned to the government for war work on 15th October 1914 and was fitted out at Portsmouth with iron plating. The whole of the crew volunteered to sail with her. As an auxiliary patrol yacht, she mounted two 6 pounder guns. In February 1917 she became Vanessa II so that her name could be given to a new destroyer. She was returned to her own in March 1919 and served again in the Second World War as Carina.
