Orders, Decorations and Medals

Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea and Royal Humane Society of Australasia group of three awarded to William James Kibblewhite, Royal Naval Reserve

Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (D.1071 W. J. Kibblewhite, Sean., R.N.R.); Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 2nd small type bronze (James Kibblewhite “Sultan” (S) 10 June 1897) in case of issue; Royal Humane Society of Australasia, silver, reverse inscribed to ‘William James Kibblewhite, 10th June 1897’, silver brooch bar, in case of issue, lid inscribed with the recipient’s name, good very fine and better (3) £750-850

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. 87.

‘Steamer Sultan, from Salieff for Calcutta, with salt, shortly after passing Socotra on June 8, was struck by very heavy monsoon weather, which stove in the engine skylights and main hatch. On the 10th, steamer Valetta took off the crew and passengers, and left the sinking vessel with her port decks under water’.

‘.... William James Kibblewhite, A.B., aged 32 years, .... [and 11 others] ..., life-boat crew of the P. & O. Coy’s R.M.S. Valetta, who rescued the passengers and crew of the S.S. Sultan from drowning in the Indian Ocean, on the 10th June, 1897. The Sultan, which was sinking, was being abandoned; two boats from the Sultan had come alongside the R.M.S. Valetta, and had been swamped with much loss of life; a boat was lowered manned by the above crew of volunteers, and they made two trips to the Sultan, bringing off about 70 persons, but on account of the heavy sea the boat could not be hauled on board again’ (Ref. R.H.S. of Australasia Annual Report 1897).