William Seymour AM

b. ?  d. ?

DATE OF AM ACTION: 05/02/1917 Malta Harbour.

Little is known about the life of William Seymour AM of the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers other than his AM action. He received his AM from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 13th April 1918 having been invalided home. It was reported that his medal was destroyed in a fire in 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

 

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 boats 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 Sevmour, 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.