Atkins, Richard
Unit
Branch
Service Component
Merchant Navy
Service Number
birth
1868/08/07
Northern River, Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
death
grave
Gender
Male
Merchant Mariner Richard Atkins was born in Northern River, Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, on 7 August 1868. His parents were William and Catharine Atkins.
Although there is little known of Richard Atkins’ activities during the First World War, his medal set indicates that he served with the British Merchant Navy during the war. The pair of medals were awarded to those who sailed on at least one voyage in a war zone or who served at sea for at least six months during the war years. Over 14,000 merchant seamen lost their lives to enemy action during this time and the British issued over 133,000 Mercantile Marine Medals, including 624 to Canadians.
In May 1920, a Richard Atkins is listed as a member of the crew of the “Terra Nova”, and part of the crew of the “Over-The-Top” in June of the same year. Both ships sailed out of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
