Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, V.R., large, bronze (Geo. Rhind, Wreck of the “John Silver” of Halifax, Octr. 1861), in its (damaged) case of issue, good very fine £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to Merchant Seamen and D.E.M.S. Gunners.

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George Rhind was awarded the Board of Trade Medal, in bronze, in respect of the following incident:

‘About 4 a.m. on 27 October [1861], the steamer John Bell, when about 18 miles S.E. of the St. Mary’s Rocks in the Straits of Bellisle, discovered the wreck of the schooner John Silver drifting at the mercy of the winds, and showing signals of distress, having struck on the rocks, beaten over them, and drifted out to sea with her bottom out, and otherwise much damaged. The weather at the time was very rough, with a strong gale from W.S.W. and a high sea, causing considerable risk to the steamer’s cutter and her crew of six men who were sent to rescue the three men on board the schooner. On returning alongside the John Bell, and just after the rescued persons, who were all but dead from cold and starvation, had been pulled on board, the cutter was struck by a heavy sea, which capsized her. After a great struggle her crew were rescued by the second cutter, which had been immediately lowered. The Master and crew of the schooner were drowned the day after she had struck. The survivors had been four days in their helpless condition when they were rescued’ (Board of Trade records refer).