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Remembered Today:

Andrew G M`Lay HMT TRANSYLVANIA


Sgt Stripes

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Hi. I am looking for awards to personnel who were involved in the sinking of HMT TRANSYLVANIA. I have been told that a member of the ships crew named as Andrew G M`Lay was awarded a RHS medal in bronze for saving the life of a Engineer officer reported in the Dailey Record 8 January 1918 plus he was also awarded a Italian society for prevention of cruelty to animals silver medal for saving the life of a cat from the ship. Can anyone help to find any information on Andrew M`Lay and also help proving that he did receive both these medals. Many Thanks     

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Cheers David. I think that's him. It was just I bit of information given to me and I thought it was spelt M`Lay but it does look like its McLay. I need to link him to the Transylvania and the awards. I have him on the tower memorial died 28.12.1942 SS Empire Shackleton. My father was onboard another Empire Ship The SS Empire song when it hit a mine and sunk. 

Edited by Sgt Stripes
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The Daily Record definitely refers to him as M'Lay.  The edition of January 8, 1918 covers the life-saving medal award but I haven't found any coverage of the animal award as yet.  He hailed from Maryhill in Glasgow and a full account of the sinking and his efforts appears in the Daily Record for 25 May 1917 which also reveals that the cat was called Gaby.

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M' was an early convention for writing Mc or Mac, but I didn't know it had survived so late. Interesting.

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3 minutes ago, seaJane said:

M' was an early convention for writing Mc or Mac, but I didn't know it had survived so late. Interesting.

Could be the Daily Record being  a very Scottish newspaper.  The Hampshire Telegraph account of the sinking calls him McLay.

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Sounds likely.

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Thanks for taking the time and effort looking into this. Is there any chance that a print out of one of the articles could be added.     

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4 minutes ago, Sgt Stripes said:

Thanks for taking the time and effort looking into this. Is there any chance that a print out of one of the articles could be added.     

PM'd you

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Cheers . What a story. Puss used up all his nine lives that day.  

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  • 3 years later...

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