‘Rose of Ipswich’ Life Saving Medal, circular, engraved, obverse inscribed, ‘James Dale, Memento for Gallantry in saving Crew of Schooner “Rose” of Ipswich. 30th March 1901’; reverse inscribed within a wreath of laurel, ‘Let not the deep swallow me up’, 39mm., silver, with ornate suspension, good very fine £250-300

James Dale was awarded a privately produced Lifesaving Medal for his part in the rescue of the crew of the Rose of Ipswich on 30 March 1901. On that day the Harwich steam lifeboat, the City of Glasgow, received a message from Felixstowe, that a gale was blowing from the south accompanied by heavy sea and that a schooner was aground on the St. Andrew’s Bank and flying signals of distress. The lifeboat left her moorings at 9.10am and found the stranded schooner, which was bound for Ipswich, laden with granite from Guernsey. Seeing that the ship would inevitably become a wreck, the crew of four were, with difficulty, taken into the lifeboat and safely landed at about 11.45am.