Royal Humane Society, small silver medal (successful) (Charles E. Littledale. 25th July 1937) hallmarks for Birmingham 1936, lacking integral top riband buckle and fitted with replacement cast scroll suspension, nearly very fine £240-£300

R.H.S. Case no. 54,402.

Charles E. Littledale was the manager of the Iraq Petroleum Company, aged 43, at the time of the incident.

About 6.30 pm on the 25th July 1937, Littledale attempted to enter Mudeford Harbour, Christchurch, Hampshire, in a motor-boat, but found he was unable to do so owing to the 6 knots ebb tide in “The Run”. After the boat had grounded on the Bar, been swept stern first through a row of piles near the pier, it was anchored in the pool to seaward of them, to wait for the tide to slacken.

Shortly afterwards, five visitors [two fathers and their three children] attempted to cross the River Stour in a boat, were caught by the strong tide in “The Run”, and swept broadside into the piles, the boat being capsized and all on board being thrown into the water. One man and his daughter were swept against the piles, to which they clung, until rescued, whilst the others were swept seaward past the anchored motor-boat. A buoy was thrown in their direction but failed to reach them.

Littledale, knowing the danger of the strong undertow at the edge of the pool, then dived in fully clothed, swam after and supported the two children, whilst the father swam after and retrieved the lifebuoy, by means of which they were all enabled to land safely on some rocks further out to seaward. Littledale then ran back along the shore, saw that the other two were becoming exhausted and liable to be swept away from the piles, dived in, seized a lifebuoy from the motor-boat thrown within reach, and was thus able to bring the man and his daughter back to the boat. All three of them were taken on board the motor-boat and subsequently landed. But for Littledale and the anchored boat, all five persons would have been swept out to sea and probably drowned.

The persons saved were Albert E. Childs (41), Anne Childs (12) and Judy Childs (9), Captain E. C. Burton and Olga Burton (9).