Lusitania captain’s medals to go under the hammer

Medals awarded to the captain of the ill-fated Lusitania during a long and distinguished career will be auctioned in England next month, with a £25,000-plus (€34,270) guide price.

Liverpool-born Commander William Turner OBE stayed on the liner until the last minute after it was struck by a U-boat torpedo off the south coast in May 1915. He was later rescued from the water.

Of the 2,100 souls on board, 1,197 passengers and crew perished, including 128 American citizens which influenced the US in its decision to enter the First World War in 1917.