Born in Fawley, Hampshire on 20 April 1864, Unwin joined the merchant navy at the age of 16 and spent 15 years serving on clippers with P&O.

The River Clyde beached at 06:22 on 25 April 1915, and the plan called for a steam hopper to form a bridge from the ship to the shore.

He was later attended by the doctor for three abrasions caused by bullets, after which he once more left the ship, this time in a lifeboat, to save some wounded men who were lying in shallow water near the beach.

Unwin was back at Suvla as Naval Transport Officer for the evacuation in December – he was aboard the last boat to leave the beach.

Observing this act, Lieutenant General Sir Julian Byng, the new IX Corps commander, remarked to Commodore Roger Keyes: You really must do something about Unwin.

[4] Unwin played little active part in the affairs of The Link, and instead provided prestige to the group, which presented itself as an organisation that all patriotic British people should rally to.

A memorial to Edward Unwin was unveiled in Hythe, Hampshire (close to his birthplace) on 11 May 2015 with details of the action in which he was awarded his VC.