Mercantile Marine War Medal, 1914-18. Obverse: Head of King George V (left). Legend: 'GEORGIVS V BRITT : OMN : REX ET IND : IMP:' Reverse: Within a laurel garland in relief, the bow view of a drifter, a ship in the distance (right). Exergue: 'FOR WAR SERVICE MERCANTILE MARINE 1914-1918'. Inscription on edge: 'THEOBALD J.C. BURET'. Mounted on a bar with six others. Fitted with a bar and light green and scarlet watered silk ribbon divided by a narrow white stripe.

Theodore John Claud Buret was born in London in 1879 and first went to sea aged fifteen. Between 1894 and 1899 he was an apprentice and then third mate on the steel three-masted ship 'Pass of Balmaha' (1888). He qualified as master in 1907 (certificate number 034334) and for twenty-six years was engaged in that capacity on ships of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. His zeal and devotion to duty during the First World War were recognised in the award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in 1917. Between 1940 and 1942 he commanded the troopship 'Andes' (1939) on voyages to Africa, the Far East, New Zealand and America. He was commodore of the Royal Mail Lines fleet between 1940 and 1944. His troopship work was recognised when he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on his retirement from seagoing engagements in 1942. During the remaining war years he lectured for the Ministry of Information on subjects including convoys and troopships. Buret’s surname was changed to Purcell-Buret by deed poll in 1941. He died at Winchester, Hampshire, in 1974.