A Sea Gallantry Medal and Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea pair awarded to F. M. Burke, Lloyd’s Agent at Algiers, for the attempted rescue of the steamship Arbib Brothers, 7/8 January 1891

Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, V.R., large, silver (F. M. Burke, casualty to the “Arbib Brothers” on the 8th January 1891) fitted with a straight bar suspension, edge bruise, some contact marks; Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 1st type silver medallion, 73mm. dia., fitted with a silver band inscribed, ‘Fredric Mollison Burke Lloyd’s Agent at Algiers 7th January 1891’, obverse glazed, good very fine and better (2) £650-750

Ex Edrington Collection.

On a passage from Tripoli, the steamship Arbib Brothers encountered a gale during the night of January 7, 1891, off Cape Cacine and broke off her tailshaft. The vessel drifted into Algiers Bay where she signalled for assistance. Captain Burke, Lloyd’s Agent at Algiers, went out in a small local launch to assist but was forced to return due to the violence of the wind and sea. Later the French steamer Kleber and the trawler Grondin succeeded in passing a tow rope to the striken vessel and brought her safely into Algiers.

With copied Board of Trade papers and other research.