THE remarkable career of a heroic Merchant Navy mariner who was made an OBE for his bravery in the Second World War is being celebrated as his medals go under the hammer.

Captain Charles Thomas Stone schooled in Tendring and Mistley in his youth and first went to sea at 14 years old in 1906.

It was the start of a distinguished 50 years at sea which saw the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, rescue sailors from drowning in the Atlantic after being torpedoed in the Second World War and become the longest serving commodore in the General Steam Navigation Company’s history.

Captain Stone’s medals archive features as Lot 308 in Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ upcoming specialist militaria sale at The Tamworth Auction Rooms, Church Street, today.

Nick Thompson, medal and militaria consultant at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said: “This is a complete archive of medals, photographs and ephemera to a very brave captain in the Merchant Navy who saw action in both world wars and received the Lloyd's medal for saving souls in the Atlantic when a convoy was torpedoed by German U-boats.

“Born in 1892, the young Captain Stone first set to sea aboard the sailing vessel Latimer – a four-masted barque carrying oil in cans – and when the ship arrived via Cape Horn at San Francisco in 1906 the crew was stunned to find the city in ruins following the earthquake just weeks earlier, of which they knew nothing.

“It was the start of a career which would see huge changes to seafaring from great sailing vessels and traditional steam to diesel ships and the age of the nuclear submarine.”

Stone joined the General Steamship Navigation Company before the First World War and would serve a total of 43 years, all but 10 as master – equivalent to captain – which he became in 1924.

His service in the First World War saw Captain Stone awarded the Merchantile Marine War Medal and in the Second World War he was presented with an OBE and was an early recipient of the Lloyds medal for bravery at sea – one of only 523 ever awarded.

Mr Thompson added: “During World War Two Captain Stone would see action on several occasions and by this time, he was captain of The Starling.

“The vessel was part of a Naval convoy sailing from Gibraltar to Liverpool when it was attacked by a ‘wolf pack’ of U-boats.”

Captain Stone was promoted to commodore of the company’s fleet in 1945 and held that position until he retired, as the longest serving commodore, to Bradfield in Essex in 1957.

Included in the archive is the Lloyds medal, named to Captain C.T. Stone SS Starling, October 12, 1940, Stone’s boxed OBE, a miniature boxed OBE and the named Merchantile Marine War medal.

The latter is on a wearing bar alongside a First World War Vvctory medal named to 101869 General J.E. Stone RA, who is listed as dying from wounds on August 2, 1916 in France.

The collection continues with the 1939-45 Atlantic and Burma Stars and a war medal with MID wreath, there is also a large glazed certificate for the award of the OBE, documents including Stone’s passport, a silver hallmarked box engraved with Stone’s initials dated July 1, 1928, two pairs of binoculars and a wealth of photographs.

The archive is expected to fetch up to £3,000 at auction.

Captain Stone lived into his 90s and survived his three brothers, wife Kathleen and their only son Roger, who died aged 55.

Viewing at The Tamworth Auction Rooms, Church Street was yesterday.

The catalogue can be viewed online at bit.ly/3Spwa6F and for more information and valuations, telephone 01827 217746 or email tamworth@richardwinterton.co.uk.