INDENT Arthur George Mepham, Master of Arms, Mercantile Marine, born 1889, enlisted in the Army Service Corps, 1914; went to France during the early part of the war where he served for nearly three and a half years - eventually serving a total of 21 years with the Regular Army; he served in Ireland, was commended for gallant conduct and was awarded the Medal of the Order of the British Empire (London Gazette 1.6.1921 to be dated 8.4.1921) - The following citation was found in the Public Record Office (WO35/181) M/20088 Actg. Sgt. A. 1155 (MT) Coy., R.A.S.C., "During an ambush on a convoy of several lorries, the Crown Forces sustained heavy casualties and were forced to leave their lorries and retire on a small farm. Sergeant Mepham seeing the officer in charge of the convoy and several others lying wounded in exposed positions, made his way back to the lorries and drove off one in which he took all the wounded to a place of safety."

Mepham joined the Merchant Navy, 1938 as Master of Arms and served continuously from 1939 to 1947; he was present in S.S. Orford, 1940 when the vessel was abandoned in Marseilles Harbour after being bombed and set on fire by German aircraft; serving mainly in large transport vessels from Liverpool, for his last trip, probably the pinnacle of his Naval career, he was appointed Master of Arms in the Queen Elizabeth