An Interesting Great War ‘Escape’ Pair awarded to Hubert John Wilde, Mercantile Marine, Chief Officer of the Kaipara, whose ship was sunk by the German Cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse on 16 August 1914 with all crew taken captive. In a shocking turn of events, this German vessel was then duly sunk by the H.M.S. Highflyer a week later, allowing the captured crew of the Kaipara and various other captured vessels, to escape, comprising: British War Medal, 1919-1919 (Hubert J. Wilde); Mercantile Marine War Medal, 1914-1918 (Hubert J. Wilde); Pair loose, with riband bar and silver ‘M.N.’ Merchant Navy brooch, toned, extremely fine (4) Chief Officer Hubert John Wilde, of Birmingham, was born in 1882, qualified as Second Mate in the Merchant Navy in 1903, and served in the Great War with the Royal Naval Reserve. As Chief Officer aboard the Kaipara, his vessel was engaged by the German Cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse on 16 August, 1914, and surrendered. The ship was boarded, its wireless radios smashed, and the crew forced to abandon the ship and come aboard the Kaiser Wilhelm before the Kaipara was promptly sunk by the German ship’s guns. The crew were treated courteously, according to contemporary reports.After a week as captives, somewhere off the West Coast of Africa, the Kaiser Wilhelm was caught by surprise by H.M.S. Highflyer during a rendezvous with several collier ships. In haste, Wilde and his crew were sent aboard the collier Arucas as the German ship began to receive fire. Organising his crew, Wilde and his merchant seaman cast off in the Arucas and escaped the Kaiser Wilhelm as she was repeatedly hit, and then sunk, by the Highflyer. Reaching Las Palmas, Wilde and his crew disembarked and took passage aboard a ship to London, completing their unusual and dramatic escape. Wilde returned to service with the Merchant Navy and rose to the position of Master Mariner. This lot offered with some contemporary photos of the recipient, postcard photos of the various ships involved, a contemporary printed illustration of the sinking of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, several original letters and documents, and newspaper excerpts which mention Wilde by name.

Estimate: GBP 150 - 200