LIFE SAVING AWARDS x1356


BOARD OF TRADE MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY IN SAVING LIFE AT SEA, V.R., large, bronze (Patrick Kehoe. Wreck of the Barque “Kwasind” on the 15th November - 1877.) nearly extremely fine


£200-260


Patrick Kehoe, Able Seaman of the S.S. England, was awarded the Board of Trade’s Bronze Medal for Gallantry for his service in rescuing the crew of the barque Kwasind on 15 November 1877. ‘At 2 o’clock on the afternoon of 15 November, the Kwasind, of Swansea, was sighted flying a flag of distress by the England. She rounded to, with her head to the sea, to avoid the heavy rolling caused by the immense waves. Her starboard lifeboat was then launched with considerable difficulty, and manned by Chief Officer Hadley and nine sailors. When the boat came within hailing distance of the distressed vessel the Captain, Evan Davies, cried out that his vessel was sinking, his crew exhausted by the incessant labour, and that he desired to abandon the barque. Mr. Hadley, after much difficulty, managed to lay the lifeboat alongside the barque and near enough for the men to jump aboard her from the rail. Ten men thus jumped into the boat, and at last Captain Davies, thinking that all were off the vessel, followed their example.


The lifeboat had gone a long distance from the abandoned barque when a man was seen gesticulating fiercely upon her deck. The unfortunate seaman was told that his only chance for life lay in jumping overboard and swimming. He followed this advice and was picked up. The work of rescue occupied two and a half hours, and the rescued crew were landed at New York.’ (The Sea Gallantry Medal, by R. J. Scarlett refers).


For this rescue the Captain of the England, Mr. W. H. Thompson, was awarded the Board of Trade’s Silver Medal for Humanity; Chief Officer Hadley the Board of Trade’s Silver Medal for Gallantry, and the nine sailors who accompanied him in the lifeboat the Board of Trade’s Bronze Medal for Gallantry. Thompson and Hadley were additionally awarded the Mercantile Marine Services Association Silver Medal for this rescue, and the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society awarded Thompson a gold clasp to his existing Gold Medal.


1357


A Royal Humane Society Medal in Silver awarded to David Thomas for his part in saving life at the Glanmwrwg Colliery, Llangennech, near Llanelly, 9 December 1899


ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY, small silver medal (successful) (David Thomas. Dec. 9. 1899), complete with silver top riband buckle, this lacking retaining pin, in case of issue, extremely fine, scarce award to a miner


£400-500


R.H.S. Case no. 30,484 (jointly listed with Thomas Francis, Miner): ‘At 8 am on the 9th December, 1899, the Glanmwrwg Pit, Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, was flooded, owing to the tapping of an old working. David Thomas, in whose headway the inrush took place, instead of seeking his own safety went into the lower part of the workings to warn the miners employed there, and on returning had to contend with a heavy rush of water. By this action four men were warned in time to escape with their lives. These men on reaching a place of safety went home, but returning later to the pit found that two men were missing. Hearing a moaning sound proceeding from the workings, Thomas Francis and William John Hunns volunteered to swim in an try to effect a rescue. At about 1 pm they made the attempt, but after going some ten yards were forced to return, as the water was nearly touching the roof. At 3.30 pm Francis made a second attempt alone, and the water being slightly lower he managed to get within ten feet of a miner named Lloyd, who was clinging to a beam in the roof. It was, however, impossible to reach Lloyd, owing to a cross beam which blocked the way. A third attempt was made, Francis and Hunns being joined by David Jones, and the three men taking a rope succeeded in reaching Lloyd and rescuing him, after hanging in the cold water for ten hours. The second man, named Williams, was drowned.


Extreme risk was incurred by all these men, the rescue of Lloyd being effected in ten feet of water and with no light. Silvers Medals were voted to David Thomas and Thomas Francis, and Bronze Medals to William John Hunns and David Jones.’


The above incident received a lot of press coverage at the time, both local and national, and further details about David Thomas’s part are recorded in a piece which appeared in the Haverfordwest Telegraph, 13 December 1899:


‘The Glanmwrwg Colliery, Langennech, about four miles from Llanelly, was flooded on Saturday last. Most of the men working in the lower headings of the slant made a miraculous escape, but one of them drowned, while an old man of 60 was literally on the brink of death for ten long and weary hours, during which time he was hanging to a beam with his head only partially above water. The providential saving of life, the self-sacrifice, and the heroism which are so commonly associated with colliery disasters in South Wales were conspicuous at Glanmwrwg on Saturday...


The colliery is a slant, and the men of course walk down to it. There are five headings, each about 150 yards long. The men, about 50 in number, went down at 6 o’clock on Saturday morning. David Thomas, Bridgend-street, Llanennech, was working in the fourth heading, or the second from bottom. He had been at work about 30 yards inside of the first crossing, and then walked away. On returning in less than three minutes - it was about 8 o’clock in the morning - he saw a torrent of water rushing through, and instead of making for the top he heroically risked his life to give warning to the men working in the heading below. It was then a race for life. Thomas managed to ascend with some difficulty, together with those in the same heading. The ones down below naturally fared worse.’


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