Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, G.IV.R., silver (Thomas McArdle, Voted 6 May 1858) with ‘double-dolphin’ suspension, good very fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Life Saving Awards.

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‘6-10 April 1858: the barque Mary Stoddart, standing from Carlingford, Co. Louth, Ireland, into Dundalk Bay in a gale, was seen to be in distress by Captain Johnston who went to her assistance. Acting on his advice, the barque managed to anchor near the rocks and, after more than six hours, he returned to Dundalk with a high sea running. Next day, in another boat, Captain Johnston returned and managed to get aboard the casualty where the weather forced him to remain; his boat steamed off to seaward. By the end of the day the Mary Stoddart had dragged one and a half miles and was aground in 12 feet of water, with five feet over her deck and the crew in her rigging. On the 8th, although the gale was still fierce and the sea very high, boats were manned with Mr Connick in charge of one of them, but they were soon forced to return. The following morning found the gale blowing with great fury yet other boats made further rescue attempts, those led by Mr Lewis and Mr Gilmer among them. None was successful, except that at 1 p.m. a boat from Ballurgan got alongside the casualty but the survivors were too weak to do anything. Meanwhile, other attempts were being mounted and, at 5 p.m. a boat in the charge of Mr Shankey put off from Gyles Quay and was able, three hours later, to land Captain Johnston and six men. Returning to the wreck with two fresh hands in his crew, Mr Shankey brought ashore the remaining survivors at 6 a.m. on the 10th. Seven members of the barque’s crew had perished.’

Chief Boatman Robert Shankey, H.M. Coastguard, Dundalk was awarded a Silver Medal and Clasp; Captain Bernard Johnston of the Steamer Enterprise; John Connick, Agent of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Society; Thomas Lewis, Mate of the Earl of Erne and William Gilmer, 1st Mate of the steamer Pride of Erin - were each awarded a Silver Medal; as were four other men, not mentioned above, who had led rescue boats in sustained efforts: Nicholas Crosby; George Elphinstone; John Hynds, and Thomas McArdle. (ref. Lifeboat Gallantry, by Barry Cox)

See lot 453 for the Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea to Elphinstone for the same rescue.