Orders, Decorations and Medals

‘Bravery at Sea’ Medal, obverse, Queen Victoria ‘Jubilee’ bust facing left; reverse inscribed, ‘Presented to Thomas Scarll of the Rival L.T. 428 for Bravery at Sea, Oct. 1887’, 36mm., silver, with silver buckle engraved, ‘For Bravery at Sea’, very fine £100-140

The medal has a ‘home-made’ look, being converted from a double florin (4/-) of the period which has had its obverse inscription and reverse details erased and its edge smoothed.

‘RESCUE OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW. GALLANT CONDUCT OF LOWESTOFT SMACKSMEN - On Thursday morning at eight o’clock the smack Rival, owner Mr W. Doughty, brought in the captain and crew of the Dutch vessel Yminden, which was abandoned on the high seas on Tuesday afternoon. The crew, which numbered twelve, together with the captain’s wife, were at once conveyed to the Sailors’ Home, where they received every attention. The captain, L. Wiersma, ... states that the Yminden sailed from the port of Zaandam with ballast bound for Wyboug. All went well until Monday night, when they encountered a fierce gale from the north-west, thirteen miles east of Texel. Captain Wiersma says he has been master of a craft for eleven years, and he never remembers such dreadful weather. The sails were torn to ribbons, and at half-past two o’clock on Tuesday morning the ballast shifted, causing the vessel to heel over. From that moment they were helpless, and expected every moment to be washed overboard. When they began to give up all hope the Lowestoft smack Rival hove in sight, and after lying by the Yminden a considerable time the captain and crew were all rescued by the Lowestoft men at great personal risk, and taken aboard the smack. ....’

With copied extract from the Lowestoft Weekly Press and some other details.