Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Lot 2025    SESSION 8 (2.30PM WEDNESDAY 29TH MARCH)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Estimate $2,200
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,200

PAIR TO MERCHANT NAVY OFFICER FOR BRAVERY AT SEA: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer (OBE type 2) (Civil) breast badge; Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea. The first unnamed, Chief Officer J.H.A.Mackie, M.V. "Sydney Star" 24th July 1941 on second medal. Named medal engraved. Both in official cases of issue, good extremely fine.

MBE (Civil): LG 16/12/1941 to James Hunter Andrew Mackie, Esq., Chief Officer.

Citation: The ship took part in a vital operation throughout which she was exposed to the hazards of surface, submarine and air attack. For the last four days she fought off a series of determined air attacks and on the last day she was torpedoed and flooding started in the holds. In spite of this and of the fact that the main engines were badly shaken, the Master, the Chief Engineer and the Chief Officer, with a volunteer party set to work to control the flooding and repair the damage. By this time the ship had drifted to within three miles of an enemy position. In spite of difficulty, the engines were re-started and a speed of fourteen knots achieved until, out of range of enemy guns, steam could be reduced and the strain on bulkheads eased. A final air attack was made when the ship had almost reached safety. The guns were manned once more, and the enemy was driven off.

It was due to the courage, resource and leadership of the Master and his Officers that the valuable ship was brought at last to safety.

OBE (Civil): LG 31/8/1943 to Captain James Hunter Andrew Mackie, MBE, Master and also MBE to James Nuttall, Esq., Third Engineer Officer.

Citation: The ship, sailing alone, was torpedoed in darkness. She sustained heavy damage and two boats were wrecked. When it was seen that there was no prospect of saving the vessel, abandonment was ordered. Although the ship sank in twelve minutes, two boats and four rafts were successfully launched and all but two of the crew boarded them. The survivors were rescued the following day.

The Master acted with courage, coolness and resource throughout. It was due to his excellent organisation and leadership that in the difficult and dangerous circumstances the ship was successfully abandoned.

The Third Engineer Officer, although not on watch when the ship was hit, went below and, at great personal risk from escaping fumes, succeeded in stopping the engines. This materially assisted the successful launching of the boats and rafts. In order to stop the engines Mr.Nuttall had to obtain suitable tools from the refrigerator space while the ship was sinking. He completed his task and reached the deck just in time to jump clear as the ship sank.

Lloyd's Medal: Lloyd's List & Shipping Gazette, Friday 1/1/1943.

Citation: While engaged in a vital operation the ship was exposed to the dangers of air, surface and submarine attack. During the last four days she battled against a number of determined air attacks, and on the last day she was torpedoed by an enemy E-boat. Although flooding began in the holds and the main engines were severely shaken, the master, chief engineer and chief officer, helped by volunteers, set to work to get the flooding under control and to repair the damage. The ship had now drifted to within three miles of an enemy position. With difficulty the engines were restarted and a speed of fourteen knots attained until they got out of range of enemy guns, when steam was reduced and the strain on the bulkheads eased. When the ship had almost reached safety a last attack was made from the air, but the enemy was driven off. The courage, resource and fine example of the master, chief engineer and chief officer enabled the valuable ship to make port.

James Hunter Andrew Mackie was born at Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1896. During WWII he was a maritime officer with the Blue Star Line of merchant ships. At the start of the war he had a narrow escape when he was transferred from the Doric Star before she left on a return trip to Auckland, Sydney and Table Bay to transport meat and dairy products. Unfortunately, on 2 December 1939, she encountered the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee south of St Helena and was sunk.

He was not to be so lucky when serving as Chief Officer on the Sydney Star, part of the Malta Convoy in 1941. There were 600 troops on board and a cargo of essential materials to relieve the siege on the island of Malta when the ship was torpedoed by a German E-boat in the Mediterranean Sea on 24 July. The troops were transferred to a destroyer and the captain, taking the last chance for the ship and her valuable cargo, sent her full steam ahead to berth in Malta ahead of the convoy, severely damaged, but with the vital cargo intact.

Then again, Captain Mackie was ship's master of the Celtic Star which was torpedoed and sunk on 29 March 1943 by the Italian submarine Guiseppe Finzi south west of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The ship was hit fore and aft by two torpedoes and went down in twelve minutes. Captain Mackie and the Chief Radio Officer stayed with the ship until 40 seconds before she was submerged until they knew their SOS message had reached Admiralty.

On 26 September 1945 Captain and Mrs Mackie left England on Australia Star. He and his wife left the ship in Cairns before heading to Sydney where they were to take up residency with Captain Mackie appointed Marine Superintendent for Australia of the Blue Star Line.

With research and copies of Gazette pages.