Great War Hospital Ship operations and Second World War Home Front group awarded to Junior Reserve Attendant later Senior Reserve Attendant C. Carter, Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve. Originally from Mirfield, Yorkshire he saw service with the R.N.A.S.B.R. throughout the war, being aboard the Merchant Fleet Auxiliary hospital ship Rewa between December 1914 and September 1915, and otherwise employed ashore at Chatham. He was also a distinguished member of the Royal Antediluvian Ancient Order of Buffaloes with the Southport and District Provincial Grand Lodge from the 1920’s through into the 1960’s.
Group of 4: 1914-1915 Star; (M.9027, C. CARTER, J.R.A., R.N.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (M.9027 C. CARTER. S.R.A. R.N.); Defence Medal 1939-1945. Mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: lightly polished, overall Good Very Fine.
Together with the following:
Royal Antediluvian Ancient Order of Buffaloes Jewels, three in total:
1) Jewel for being raised to a 2nd Degree Brother, silver and enamels, hallmarks for Birmingham with date letter ‘w’ for 1921, reverse engraved: ‘Presented to Bro. C. Carter. Raised to 2nd. Deg. Feb. 9th. 1922.’ With its original case.
2) Southport and District Provincial Grand Lodge Jewel for services as a District Provincial Grand Primo, silver, gilt and rolled gold facing, and enamel, with hallmarks for Birmingham with date letter ’N’ for 1937, reverse engraved: ‘Presented to Bro. C. Carter. K.O.M. For Services as D.P.G.P. 1938.’ With its original case with matching details to the jewel for the jeweller Henry Slingsby of Nuneaton.
3) Lodge Secretary’s Jewel for the Volunteer Lodge No.834, silver-gilt and enamel, hallmarks for Birmingham with date letter ‘f’ for 1955, reverse engraved: ‘Presented to Bro. C. Carter R.O.H. For Services Rendered to the Volunteer Lodge No.834 November 12th: 1962.’
Also a Royal Antediluvian Ancient Order of Buffaloes Jewels Scroll of the Roll of Honour of the Grand Lodge of England as awarded to Cyril Carter, ‘for the long and devoted Services to the above mentioned Ancient and Honourable Order this the Highest Degree was conferred upon him and the Ceremony of Exaltation performed on the tenth day of April 1943 by the Royal Albert Lodge No.1376 under the Governing Authority of Southport & District and was ratified by the unanimous vote of the Grand Lodge of England.’ Dated 16th May 1943. This in a scroll tube case, addressed to an: ‘A. Wright, Esq., 64, St. John’s Road, Southport.’
Cyril Carter was born on 8 November 1895 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, and having worked on the railways as a left luggage attendant and later a railway porter, with the Great War he joined the Royal Navy as a Junior Reserve Attendant (No.M.9027) with the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve on being posted to Haslar Hospital on 2 August 1914. Posted to Pembroke I from 7 October 1914, he was then posted aboard the Merchant Fleet Auxiliary vessel Rewa from 8 December 1914. The Rewa was originally a British-India Steam Navigation Company mail and passenger service vessel which was sometimes used as a military transport vessel and was taken over by the Admiralty on the outbreak of the war and used a a hospital ship.
Carter remained aboard Rewa until posted back to Pembroke I from 11 September 1915, where he was promoted to Senior Reserve Attendant on 5 August 1916. He then remained at Chatham, most probably in the Chatham Royal Naval Hospital until shortly after the end of the war when he was posted aboard the armed merchant cruiser Almazora from 30 November 1918. Carter was demobilised ashore on 11 February 1919.
Carter went on to live in Southport in Lancashire (now Merseyside) and would later see service most probably in Civil Defence on the Home Front during the Second World War. He was also a long serving member of the Royal Antediluvian Ancient Order of Buffaloes with the Southport and District Provincial Grand Lodge. Elevated to the 2nd Degree on 9 February 1922, he was the District Provincial Grand Primo for 1938, and having been added to the Roll of Honour on 16 May 1943, later became the Secretary of the Volunteer Lodge No.834 on 12 November 1962.