WW1 ROYAL NAVY RESERVE & CANADIAN NAVY MEDAL GROUP 2766 PETTY OFFICER PEARMAN

An interesting two country service group to Petty Officer Pearman, who served pre-war with the R.N.R and transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1915 for WW1. He was present in Nova Scotia when the ammunition ship Mont Blanc was rammed, caught fire & exploded in the harbour, badly damaging his ship.

1914 - 15 Star, impressed named 2766 C. B.R.PEARMAN. SMN., R.N.R. War and Victory medal impressed named B.R.PEARMAN. LDG. SMN. 4530. R.C.N. Reserve Long Service & Good Conduct Medal impressed named C.2766. B.R. PEARMAN. SEA. R.N.R. The medals are court mounted, for display & come with copies of service papers & medal rolls.

Bertie Robert Pearman was born in Rowhedge, Essex, on the 18/7/1881. He enlisted R.N.R. 1/1/1903 & re enrolled 16/1/1913. His original service number was B 914, but was given the new service number C 2766. Rated to Leading Seaman R.N.R 24/9/1917 & Petty Officer (Canadian Navy) 13/4/1918. Awarded L.S & G.C 8/11/1919. 24/4/1919 demobilised. Last service entry 4/1/1923. Died in Colchester, Essex in 1963.

Served: H.M.S Niobe. 6/9/1915 – 12/4/1918. (Royal Canadian Navy) Diadem class of protected cruisers. During the First World War, Niobe patrolled the approaches to the St. Lawrence River and then joined the Royal Navy's 4th Cruiser Squadron to patrol off New York City. The cruiser returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 July 1915 and never put to sea again. Niobe was paid off in September and served as a depot ship in Halifax.

On 6 December 1917, the ammunition ship SS Mont-Blanc was rammed by another vessel. The ramming caused Mont-Blanc to catch fire. Laden with tons of explosives, the ship was abandoned by her crew and left to drift through the harbour. Niobe was laid up in harbour at the time and the alarm was raised aboard the ship once the danger was known. Warrant Officer Albert Mattison and six men sailed to Mont-Blanc in Niobe's pinnace and boarded the ammunition ship in an effort to scuttle her. However, while the group was boarding, Mont-Blanc exploded, killing the seven men instantly. The explosion caused serious damage to Niobe's upper works, and the deaths of seven other crew members. It also caused her to be dragged from her moorings, despite the use of a concrete embedded anchor. Once re-secured, additional anchors were put in place. She remained in use as a depot ship until disposed of in 1920.

H.M.C.S. Seagull (Patrol boat) 13/4/1918 – 31/12/1918. H.M.C.S H.M.S Niobe 1/1/1919 to demobilisation.