Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Mercantile Marine Service Association Medal, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Marine Medal pair awarded Captain John Threfall Bragg, Royal Naval Reserve, who was awarded clasps to both medals, the one to the former medal being unique

Mercantile Marine Service Association Medal, silver, reverse inscribed, ‘Presented to Capt. J. Threfall Bragg, R.N.R., S.S. Antenor, in recognition of his saving 1200 pilgrims & the S.S. Jeddah on Augt. 8th 1880’; Liverpool Shipwreck & Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, silver (Capt. John Threfall Bragg, S.S. “Antenor” for rescuing 1063 Mahommedan Pilgrims in S.S. “Jeddah”) signs of fire damage, cleaned, some edge bruising, very fine (2) £650-750

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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Extract from Abandonment of the S.S. Jeddah, Narrative by a Passenger), in The Mercantile Marine Service Association Reporter, Vol. V -

‘.... I was one of three Europeans on board the s.s. Antenor, bound from Singapore to Suez. The remainder of the passengers, numbering over 700 were Mahommedans, en route for Mecca .... all went well and comparatively uneventful, until about five o’clock on the afternoon of August 8th, when an adventure occured, ...We were thirteen miles W.N.W. of Cape Guardafui, the most north-eastern part of Africa, when we descried a steamer ... We then saw she that she had the urgent signals flying. ... “I am sinking; send immediate assistance.” ... We stopped close to the vessel, and sent a boat on board in charge of the Chief Officer, ... [reporting back]. His story was a strange and pitiable one. There were on board the distressed vessel no less than 1,220 passengers, all pilgrims bound to Jeddah and the Mahomet’s shrine. The vessel was in a terrible plight, her boilers having shifted, and her steam pumps broken, entirely disabled her steam power, and caused her to leak heavily, so much so, that there was no less than seven feet of water in her hold. ... The Captain and Officers, the First and Third Engineers, and some of the crew, had cowardly made their escape from the fated vessel, leaving the pilgrims ... with nothing but a dreadful death before them on the wide waste of waters. Only one man of any use ... the Second Engineer was still on board, and he was only prevented from deserting them, by the pilgrims threatening to kill him if he tried to leave ... ‘

‘.... the Association’s silver medal to Captain John Threfall Bragg, of the S.S. Antenor, belonging to Mr Alfred Holt, in recognition of his gallantry and humanity in having saved 1,200 pilgrims who were voyaging to Mecca, together with the steamer, which had been abandoned by her captain and crew. Captain Bragg and his crew, after great exertions, towed the Jeddah safely to Aden, where her passengers were landed’ (Ref. The Mecantile Marine Service Association Reporter, Vol. V - this with an extended account of the incident).

Captain Bragg was in addition awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck & Humane Society Marine Medal in Silver, and from the Dutch Government, a Gold Chronometer, ‘in recognition of his services to several Netherlands and Indian subjects who were passengers on board the Jeddah’.

‘The Council of the Mercantile Marine Service Association have awarded to Captain J. T. Bragg, Master, S.S. Antenor, a Silver Clasp to his Medal, and the Gallantry Medal of the Association was awarded to Mr R. S. Campbell, his Chief Officer, for saving life under the following circumstances:- The steamship Fleurs Castle from Hankow to London, went ashore on July 9th, near Cape Guardafui, on the North-East coast of Africa. The ship struck heavily, and the next sea threw her broadside on the beach.
... the ship broke in two and heeled over. Some few climbed on the outside, others were swept into the sea. The Captain was washed overboard but he got hold of a couple of tea chests, which served him as a life-buoy, and was washed ashore. On gaining the beach he found the Second and Third Officers, the latter with his leg broken, the Third Engineer, one European passenger, two quartermasters, and ten Chinese sailors. They watched for any others who might be washed ashore, and rescued another quartermaster with both legs broken and geatly bruised. He died two hours afterwards. When daylight broke the natives came down and treated them kindly, supplying them with rice and dates. The drinking water was bad, however, and they suffered much from the heat and the want of clothing. About July 23rd a Russian flag and letter were sent from Ras Hafon, five days journey to the south, with news that the Russian steamship Moscow of the volunteer fleet from Hankow for Russia, with tea, had gone on shore and had become a total wreck, the passengers and crew numbering 120, escaping with their lives only. .... On July 27th the steamship Antenor, Captain J. T. Bragg, was seen rounding the Cape. The Russian flag was waved in a prominent place on Ras Asir as a signal of distress. This was seen on board the Antenor ... To the west of Ras Asir is a bay into which the Antenor steamed. She then let go anchor and sent a boat towards the shore. There being a very high surf, the boat could not land, so one of the quartermasters of the Fleurs Castle swam through the surf. He was taken on board the Antenor and told Captain Bragg that the Captain and 15 of the crew of the Fleurs Castle were on shore about ten miles distant. Preparations were at once made to rescue the shipwrecked men, and early the following morning they were all got on board, Chief Officer R. S. Campbell in charge of the boat’ (Ref. The Mercantile Marine Services Association Reporter, Vol. VII, 1882).

Captain Bragg was in addition awarded a clasp to his Liverpool Shipwreck & Humane Society Medal, and from the British Government, ‘a Piece of Plate for his humanity and kindness to shipwrecked crew of Fleurs Castle’. Chief Officer Campbell was similarly awarded binoculars for his gallantry in the rescue.

Captain Bragg was the only recipient of the Mercantile Marine Service Association Medal to be awarded a clasp. The Second Award clasps to both medals are missing and are believed to have been destroyed in the fire, the effects of which may be seen on the medals. Sold with copied research.