War Medals

311779 WILLIAM D. MALCHER, LEADING STOKER, ROYAL NAVY, HMS. 'FORMIDABLE' :

1914-15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (311779 W.D. Malcher, Act. L.Sto.RN.); Messina Earthquake Medal 1908, unnamed as issued : (WILLIAM DENNIS MALCHER - Born 25 January 1887 at New Cross, London, joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd.Class in HMS. 'Acheron' on 12 June 1907 : Moved to HMS. 'Pathfinder' from 19 November 1907 and was advanced to Stoker 1st.Class from 11 June 1908 : Joined HMS. 'Minerva' from 17 September 1908 and was present in the ship when it was engaged in relief operations following the tragic earthquake that hit the city of Messina, Italy in December 1908 : Left 'Minerva' on 17 October 1910 and subsequently served in a number of ships before joining HMS.'Formidable' from 29 July 1914 : He was still serving in the ship and was aboard at about 2.20am on 1 January 1915 when it was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side which had been fired by the German Submarine U-24 : The Battleship immediately began to list to starboard and was very low down by the bow, when at about 3.05am it was hit by a second torpedo, this time on the port side : At about 4.45am 'Formidable' turned over to starboard and sank : Of the 780 men on board, 35 Officers including the Captain, and 512 ratings were drowned : William Malcher was among those killed in the sinking, he has no known grave and is commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial, he was twenty-six years of age on the date of his death.) : Sold with verifcation, copy Service Record, original Admiralty notification of death, original Certificate of Seaman's Will, original Certificate of Marriage, original Notice of Naval Assets, copy Census Records, CWGC. information, casualty list and other related research : EF - £695