Arthur Duff Hadden Allan AM

b. 18/10/1870 St Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland.  d. 4th Quarter 1935 Liverpool.

DATE OF AM ACTION:

Arthur was the son of William Knowles and Marjory Allan (nee Milne), and grew up in the St Nicholas area of Aberdeen, Scotland. He enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps on 24th May 1915 in Aberdeen. At the time, he was boarding with a Mrs McGregor at 162 King Street. Little is known of his later life following leaving the RAMC in 1919. He received his AM from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 3rd April 1919. He died in Liverpool in the latter months of 1935.

 

AM CITATION:

On the morning of the 5th February, 1917, a serious explosion, followed by a fire, occurred on the French troopship ” St. Laurent” at Malta. After some time it was observed that three men in the forepart of the ship, where the flames were fiercest, were cut off from the rest. None of the boat’s  near would .approach the ship owing to the, heat and danger of a further explosion, until Acting Quartermaster-Serjeant Brown persuaded a Maltese Policeman to row him out; but when within thirty yards of, the ship the Policeman refused to go further. Brown returned, and was then joined by Seymour, Allan and Cuthbertson. They rowed directly to the forepart of the ship, the sides of which were by this time red hot, while the plates were falling into the sea. When they were within a few yards of the ship two of the three men in the forepart jumped into the sea and were rescued; .the third, who had climbed up the mast, was saved later when the mast fell. ‘

 

BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.