LIFE SAVING AWARDS
Samuel Charles Arthur Smith was born in Ashted, Birmingham on 19 October 1877, the son of Samuel and Alice Smith. A Printer by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on St. Vincent on 6 December 1892 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in May 1894. When on Redpole he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in October 1895 and to Able Seaman in May 1896. He was promoted to Leading Seaman in September 1898 when on Excellent and to Petty Officer 1st Class in September 1901 when on Nymphe. On 28 August 1900 Smith, then 22 years of age, married Miriam Caroline Louisa Cappa, aged 21 years, at Kingston Church, Portsea, Portsmouth. Smith was advanced to Acting Gunner in September 1905 when at Victory I and was confirmed in that rank on 4 May 1906.
He was posted to the battleship London in August 1911. Serving aboard the vessel he was involved in the rescue operations at the wreck of the S.S. Delhi, stranded during a gale on the coast of Morocco, near Cape Spartel, on 13 December 1913. Amongst the passengers were the Duke and Duchess of Fife (The Princess Royal) and their two daughters which only gave further urgency to a grave situation. His service papers record, ‘Great zeal shown in assisting in removal of passengers and crew from “Delhi” wrecked off Algerian coast.’ For his notable services during the five-day rescue operations, Smith was awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in silver. For his actions on 15 December he was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in bronze -
‘At 3 p.m. on the 15th December, 1911, as the Lascars were being landed from the wrecked steamer “Delhi” near Cape Spartel, Morocco, one of them was washed away by the rough sea. S. C. A. Smith, gunner, H.M.S. “London,” swam after him and succeeded in getting him back to the “Delhi,” where they were hauled on board.’ (R.H.S. case no. 38838).
Smith was presented with his S.G.M. by King George V on 10 October 1912. For the ‘Delhi’ rescue operations, eight S.G.M’s. were awarded in silver and 54 were awarded in bronze; in addition, eight gold ‘Foreign Services’ medals were awarded.
After leaving H.M.S. London in March 1912, Gunner Smith was appointed to St. George for service with torpedo boat flotillas, June 1912-November 1913. In November 1913 he was appointed to the armed launch Mashona for operations in the Persian Gulf (44 medals to R.N. personnel and 66 to Indian ratings). He joined the R.I.M. ship Comet in the Persian Gulf on 1 January 1915, but was shot dead by an Arab fanatic on 1 February 1915. Gunner Smith was buried in the Basra War Cemetery. At the time of his death, his wife was living at ”Eastfield”, 3 Keswick Avenue, Copnor, Portsmoth.
With original Birth and Marriage Certificates; a letter to his wife, Miriam, signed “Charlie”, dated 18 October 1914; a letter to his wife from the Admiralty dated 4 February 1915, expressing their regret at his death; together with a folder containing detailed research. An account relating to the man and his medals was published in Family Tree Magazine, January 2005 (with lot).
399
A ‘Volturno Disaster’ Sea Gallantry Medal awarded to Steward George Oliver Thompson of the S.S. Carmania SEA GALLANTRY MEDAL, G.V.R., silver (George Oliver Thompson “Volturno” 9th October 1913) nearly extremely fine
£320-360
George Oliver Thompson, a Steward on the Cunard liner Carmania, was awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in Silver on the occasion of the Volturno disaster of 9 October 1913. The Volturno, a British steamer, chartered by the Uranium Steamship Co. of Rotterdam, and bound thence to New York, was engulfed by fire in mid-Atlantic during a heavy gale. Of the 657 on board, 521 were saved by a fleet of eleven steamers that sped to her aid. Heavy seas interfered with the launching of boats, but the difficulty was eventually overcome by the use of oil; those who perished were mostly lost in the boats. The hull of the Volturno was eventually found by a Dutch steamer and scuttled as a dangerous derelict.
Numerous awards were made for this famous rescue, including 78 Sea Gallantry Medals in Silver to crew members of the six British vessels. In addition the Board of Trade also awarded 152 silver Sea Gallantry Medals (Foreign Services) to the crews serving on foreign vessels at the rescue.
In little less than a years time the Carmania was involved in action of a different sort. Fitted out as an Armed Merchant Cruiser, on 14 September 1914 she engaged in combat and sank the German Armed Merchant Cruiser, Cap Trafalgar, in a desperate action off the Brazilian island of Trindade; the Carmania being badly damaged in the process.
400
A S.G.M. pair awarded to Stoker Petty Officer John Picker, Royal Naval Reserve, late Greaser, S.S. Monmouth
SEA GALLANTRY MEDAL, G.V.R., silver, (John Picker “Evelyn” 30th November 1913); ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (U.1221 J. Picker, Sto. P.O., R.N.R.) second with edge bruising, nearly very fine (2)
£320-360
On 26 November 1913, the brig Evelyn, of Carnarvon, whilst on a voyage from Beavertown, Newfoundland to Glasgow, was in distress in the North Atlantic Ocean. In response to signals of distress the steamship Invergyle, of Glasgow, bore down on the Evelyn, but owing to the heavy sea she was unable at the time to render any assistance and could only stand by until daylight. Next morning a lifeboat was launched from the Invergyle and with difficulty three members of Evelyn’s crew were rescued; her captain, mate and a seaman elected to stay on board.
On the evening of 30 November, the steamship Monmouth, of Liverpool, approached the derelict Evelyn and launched a lifeboat. Again with much difficulty, the remaining three men on board were rescued; the Evelyn was then abandoned in a sinking condition.
Silver Medals for Gallantry were awarded to five officers and men of the Invergyle and to eight officers and men of the Monmouth. With some copied research.
www.dnw.co.uk
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