Canada, Commonwealth. A First War Medal Bar to Seaman John Allison, HMCS Rainbow

A medalbar consisting of three decorations, measures 100 mm (w - across bar) x 86.2 mm (h - bar to medal base), reverse of the bar presents adhesive, comprising: 

A 1914-15 Star, bronze plated, full size, reverse privately engraved J. Allison, O.S. HMCS. RAINBOW., replacement ribbon, very fine.

A British War Medal, silver, full size, rim impressed J.ALLISON. STO. I. I200. R. N. C. V. R., replacement ribbon, cleaned, minor wear, very fine. 

A Victory Medal, bronze gilt, full size, rim impressed J.ALLISON. STO. I. I200. R. N. C. V. R., replacement ribbon, light wear to gilt and edges, very fine. 

Footnote: John Allison was born in August 1895, and worked as a baker’s helper before the war. He served on the HMCS Rainbow as an ordinary seaman. 

The HMS Rainbow was an apollo-class protected cruiser built for Great Britain’s Royal Navy in 1892. It was presented to Canada in 1910 and was recommissioned the HMCS Rainbow, and was used as a training ship for the Royal Naval College of Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When the war broke out, the Rainbow was ordered to find and engage ships of the Imperial German Navy, particularly the light cruisers SMS Leipzig and SMS Nurnberg. In 1916, the Rainbow was patrolling on the west coast of North America, performing reconnaissance on German shipping. This ship successfully seized the German-owned but American-flagged schooner Oregon in April. In 1917, the Rainbow was used to transport $140,000,000 in Russian gold bullion between Esquimalt and Vancouver, to be placed in trust in Canada by the Russian Government, as they prepared for the impending Russian revolution. 

The cost of operating the Rainbow was heavy, using much of the West Coast naval operations budget. In May 1917, the ship was decommissioned and the crew was sent east to the Atlantic coast to help fight u-boats.