Great War Royal Naval Division 1914 Star trio awarded to Able Seaman G. Marchant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division who saw service on the Western Front in the opening months of the conflict, and later returning to sea, would be wounded in the sinking of R.M.S. Alcantara by the German merchant raider Grief on 29th February 1916. Later serving aboard the frigate H.M.S. Eaglet, he would demobilised on 28th March 1919.
Group of 3: 1914 Star; (SX 2/221 G. MARCHANT, A.B. R.N.V.R. HOWE BTTN: R.N.D.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (S.2-221 G. MARCHANT. A.B. R.N.V.R.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
George Marchant from Brighton, attested on 30th January 1912 giving his address as 46 Newhaven Street, Brighton and would join the Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division on 22nd August 1914 seeing service on the Western Front. He would join the Alcantara on 15th April 1915 and would serve aboard until 31st March 1916.
In January 1916 Alcantara embarked on the 10th Cruiser Squadron's G patrol. She was due to return to port on 1 March, but on the morning of 29 February 1916 she was northeast of Shetland en route to a rendezvous with Andes she intercepted the Imperial German Navy merchant raider Greif disguised as the Norwegian merchant ship Rena with a home port of Tønsberg, Norway. At 0915 hrs at a range of 6,000 yards (5,500 m) Alcantara ordered Greif to stop for inspection, which she did. Alcantara's ship's company went to action stations, she trained her guns on Greif, closed to 2,000 yards and slowed to lower a cutter to put an armed guard aboard the suspect ship.
At 0940 hrs Greif increased speed and opened fire. One source claims she raised the Imperial German war ensign ("Kriegsflagge"). However, Alcantara's commanding officer, Captain Thomas Wardle, reported that after lowering the Norwegian ensign Greif fought under no flag. The first shell hit Alcantara's bridge, disabling her steering gear, engine order telegraph and all telephones and killing or wounding a number of men. Wardle ordered full speed and opened fire at a range of 2,000 yards (1,800 m). A messenger was sent aft and got Alcantara's after emergency steering gear connected.
Greif turned to starboard and closed range to 750 yards (690 m). Several German shells hit Alcantara near her waterline, entering her stokehold bunkers and engine room. Greif tried to torpedo Alcantara. Wardle reported that evasive action at 1002 hrs allowed the torpedo to pass clear under Alcantara's stern, but another source states that a torpedo detonated amidships against Alcantara's port side. A shell from Alcantara's port after 6-inch (152 mm) gun hit and detonated the ready ammunition for Greif's after gun, putting it out of action. By 1015 hrs Greif was badly afire by her bridge and seemed to have stopped. At 1022 hrs Alcantara saw boats leaving Greif and ceased fire.
Greif then fired one more shot, and Alcantara returned fire. The one shot was later attributed to a shell left in the breech of an abandoned gun being fired by the heat of the fire now raging aboard Greif.
By 1035 hrs Alcantara was reduced to about 3 knots (5.6 km/h) and her after steering gear was disabled. Her helm seemed to be jammed hard over to starboard but she was turning to starboard. Wardle ordered his company to cease fire, stop engines, and go to boat stations. The order to stop engines was not received, but flooding in the engine room stopped them. Several of Alcantara's lifeboat falls had been damaged by enemy fire, so that attempts to launch some boats caused men to be dropped into the sea. Alcantara rolled, capsized and sank at 1102 hrs. At least 15 of her boats and a large liferaft floated clear.
The C-class light cruiser HMS Comus and M-class destroyer HMS Munster then arrived. Comus proceeded to rendezvous with Andes about 8,000 yards (7,300 m) away, while Munster started rescuing survivors. Greif was carrying a large amount of cork that at first kept her afloat. Andes and Comus reopened fire on Greif. Eventually a large explosion, possibly of ammunition, sank the German ship.
The battle killed 230 men from Greif and 68 from Alcantara. Two hundred ten German survivors were rescued.
Marchant would be wounded in the sinking, this being noted on his papers. He would later serve aboard the frigate H.M.S. Eaglet from 26th May 1916 until his demobilisation on 28th March 1919.