Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Commander S. F. S. Rotch, Royal Navy

British War Medal 1914-20 (Commr., R.N.); Royal Humane Society, small silver medal (successful) (Lieut. S. F. S. Rotch, R.N., Nov. 29, 1898) silver buckle on ribbon, mounted for wear, good very fine £240-280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Life Saving Awards formed by The Late W.H. Fevyer.

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Ref. Spink Exhibition 1985, No. 17.

‘At midnight on the 29th November, 1898, the dinghy belonging to H.M.S. Onyx left Harwich pier for the purpose of returning to the ship, there being on board Lieut. Rotch, of the Onyx, Mr R. Johnson, Chief Officer of H.M. Cruiser Beaver, A. Pope, armourer’s mate of the Onyx, and two seamen. When some fifteen yards from the ship the boat capsized, throwing all into water. The two seamen managed to save themselves. Mr Johnson, who is unable to swim, at once called for help, and Lieut. Roche swam with him to the quarter boom, leaving him there in safety. He then swam to Pope, who was in a critical position, and also took him to the boom. Meanwhile the alarm had been given on board, but it took twenty minutes to lower the whale-boat, the falls being frozen. Eventually all were saved, after being in the water nearly half an hour. The tide was flowing strong, and there was great danger of being numbed by the cold, there being three degrees of frost at the time’ (Ref. R,H.S. Case No. 29,942; Acts of Gallantry, Vol. 2, p. 72).