Sea Gallantry Medal (Foreign Services), G.V.R., silver, ‘From the British Government, For Gallantry and Humanity’ (Manuel Harman Exposito, “Collingdale” 13th April 1927), in Brook & Son, Edinburgh fitted case, good very fine £320-360

The British steamer Collingdale, owned by Messrs. Jackson Brothers, left Melilla, Morocco, with 5,000 tons of iron ore on 12 April 1926. However at the harbour entrance the force of the sea drove her aground some 800 metres from land, where she remained beam to the sea and subsequently broke into three sections. A gale blowing during the night of 12/13 April made any rescue attempt impossible. On 13 April at 4 p.m. attempts were made by a Spanish military seaplane to drop supplies and a guide rope to those on the wreck but without success. At 6 p.m. a lifeboat from the Society of Rescuers of Shipwrecked Mariners arrived on the scene but was unable to effect a rescue. On 14 April with conditions on the ship fast deteriorating, the motor boat Mora, with a volunteer Spanish crew under coxswain Vincento Martinez, managed to get alongside the wrecked vessel and rescued the ship’s officers and crew together with the Spanish pilot. Martinez’s gallant rescue being witnessed by crowds of townspeople from the shore. Lloyd’s Medals for Saving Life at Sea were subsequently awarded to the coxswain and crew of the Mora.

An extract from The Times, 16 December 1927, gives details of the rescue and of the award of the Lloyd’s Medals. It includes a list of the crew of the Mora but the name ‘Manuel Haman Exposito’ is not on the list. It is therefore quite possible he was a member of the lifeboat crew who had earlier risked their lives to reach those stranded on the Collingdale and did indeed rescue the officers and crew of the Greek ship Nicolas Pateras which was also ran aground as it attempted to enter Melilla Harbour during the storm. Sold with copied research.