Description
1914 Star with original “5th Aug – 22nd Nov 1914” Clasp, British War & Victory Medal, Naval Long Service & Good Conduct, GV, PLY 12480 Sergeant William Thomas Plumb, Royal Marines Light Infantry, later Royal Marines Police, Early Lander at Ostend and at Defence of Antwerp during 1914, followed by a posting to Gallipoli in April 1915, and finally sunk on HMS Avenger when torpedoed by the U-69 in 1917.
After finishing 21 years of service in 1925, He would spend a whole 2 years in the Royal Fleet Reserve before re-enlisting in the Royal Marines Police, continued his service to be discharged from the Royal Marines Police aged 55 in 1941 having reached the age limit.
In total, he had served with the Royal Marines 37 years since 1904, with only 2 years in between with the RFR.
1914 Star officially impressed: “PLY. 12480. Corpl. W.T. Plumb, R.M. Brigade.”
WW1 pair officially impressed: “PLY 12480. L. Sgt. W.T. Plumb. R.M.L.I.”
LSGC officially impressed: “PLY/12480 W.T. Plumb. Sergt. R.M.L.I.”
All medals and the clasp confirmed on the roll and papers.
A good original group all swing mounted as worn on original silk ribbons with matching ribbon bar.
LSGC awarded on 9th November 1919, 1914 Trio and clasp issued in 1919-1920.
WW1 Services:
27th August – 31st August 1914, Landed at Ostend with Royal Marine Brigade
19th September – 12th October 1914, Served at Dunkirk and Defence of Antwerp.
Posted with Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from 29th April 1915 – 12th December 1915, seeing service at Gallipoli.
Served on board HMS Avenger from 14th March 1916 – 16th June 1917 when “Ship Sunk” as noted on his papers, when the U-69 sank her with a Torpedo on 16th June 1917 between the Faroes and Shetlands.
William Thomas Plumb,w as born on 5th August 1886 at Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
He first enlisted for service at Glasgow whilst underage aged 17 on 11th March 1904.
After turning 18 and seeing his initial service at Plymouth, he would see his very first posting on a ship.
He joined HMS Commonwealth, and served on board from 9th May 1905 – 29th May 1907.
His service would end on the ship, when she collided with the Battleship HMS Albemarle near Lagos on 11th February 1907, sustaining hull and bulkhead damage, being sent back to the Devonport Dockyard for Repair.
He saw another ship posting on HMS Cumberland from 3rd September 1907 – 6th September 1909, before remaining at the Depot with Plymouth Division in the lead up to the War.
When the war broke out, he was a newly promoted Corporal, when the Royal Marine Brigade was mobilised for active service and swiftly sent over to Ostend.
He landed with them early into the war at Antwerp on 27th August 1914.
His unit was later brought over to Antwerp to take part in the defence of the city, under the unusual personal command of Winston Churchill, he was one of a number of veterans called “Churchill’s Private Army”.
An interesting article on this can be read at the Churchill Project below:
https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/world-crisis3-antwerp/
As the Germans pushed back the Forces in France, they threatened the important Port of Antwerp. The master plan of Winston Churchill, who at the time was the First Lord of the Admiralty, was that he would go over there himself on the ship Adventurer, and taking with him a Royal Naval Division, including Corpl Plumb. Churchill had put together a hodge podge of Royal Marines and Navy Sailors to defend the city, whilst there he rode around the city in his open top car encouraging the men.
After the withdrawal from Antwerp, Plumb had a new destination, landing for service in Gallipoli on 29th April 1915 during the “ANZAC Landings”.
The Royal Marines were again in action there during the whole of the Gallipoli Campaign until he was part of another withdrawal in December 1915.
Following on from this, he saw his 3rd wartime posting, having been sent to Belgium and then Gallipoli, he saw a sea posting on the ship HMS Avenger.
Joining the Avenger on 14th March 1916, his services was ended when his ship was sunk at sea by the German U-Boat U-69 on 16th June 1917, fortunately few casualties were recorded and other ships came to the rescue, particularly HMS Vienna who helped take the troops back home.
Seeing further service back home with Plymouth Division, he rose to Sergeant on 15th January 1918.
After the war he would finish out his service on 4th August 1925, being officially discharged on termination of his 2nd period of engagement.
This did not stop him from enrolling in the Fleet Reserve on 5th August 1925, after a short retirement of only 2 years he was discharged from the RFR as he chose to re-enlist in the Royal Marines Police on 17th April 1927.
He remained in this duty as a Royal Marines Policeman until 4th August 1936 having finished off his contract.
Naturally the very next day he re-enlisted once more, promising to only serve until the age of 55 on 5th August 1936, being allocated with the service number PLY/RMP/X28.
During WW2, he was finally discharged on reaching 55 years old, on 4th August 1941.
After witnessing the end of World War 2, he died during 1948 in Tavistock, Devon.
His death is recounted in the Western Morning News on 26th October 1948:
“GUARD’S DEATH ON TAVISTOCK TRAIN
Mr William T. Plumb, of 40 Seymour Avenue, Lipson, Plymouth, a Railway Guard, collapsed and died at Bere Alston Station yesterday afternoon while on duty on the Plymouth-Tavistock train.
He was taken to the Tavistock Mortuary and the Stationmaster at Bere Alston took over duties as guard for the rest of the journey.”
