Knight Bachelor breast badge; 1914-15 Star (LIEUT. E.H. THORNTON. R.N.R.); British War Medal (LIEUT. E.H. THORNTON. R.N.R.); Victory Medal (LIEUT. E.H. THORNTON. R.N.R.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; R.N.V.R. Decoration GVR - unnamed as awarded.
Ernest Hugh Thornton was born in Oxford in 1884. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve at a young age, going to sea as an apprentice in the four-masted barque, Matterhorn. He later served in the S.S. Vinebranch and, upon obtaining his certificate as First Mate, he joined Sir Donald Currie's Union Castle Line as Fifth Officer in the Norman in 1906. He was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1912 and served in the RNR during WWI where he was in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland where he was aboard HMS Lion.
The war over, he rejoined the Union Castle Line and was appointed to the Balmoral Castle. After serving in various ships of the company as chief officer he was appointed to the command of the cargo steamer Hansa in 1929. Five years later, in 1934, he was in command of one of the intermediate passenger liners and, late in 1937 he was appointed to the mail service. His last ship was the Cape Town Castle, of 27000 tons in which he served from January 1939 until July 1946 - this being the period which also spanned WWII. During WWII he earned the 1939-45 Star and, having sailed in their waters, the Atlantic Star, Pacific Star and Italy Star (Mediterranean) - all of these were fraught with danger as the German U-Boats targeted Allied sea-going vessels.
In February 1941 he was promoted to Commodore of the Union Castle Line fleet and was knighted in the King's birthday Honours List in June 1944 - for meritorious sea service in the Merchant Navy and, more particularly, for his troopship work. In the period of his wartime command of the Cape Town Castle - she had been requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a troopship - she participated in Operation 'Bolero', the build-up of troops in readiness for the Normandy landings: by the time she was returned to the Union-Castle Line, she had steamed 484,000 miles and carried 164,000 troops.
He retired in January 1947 at the age of 63 and, the following year, moved to N'gong near Nairobi in Kenya on account of his health. He died there on 24 November 1951.
Medals are in good condition unless otherwise indicated. Sold with research.
