Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: John Hardie Jr., for Saving a Life on the Richelieu River, Quebec, Canada

Life Saving Medal, privately awarded medal, obverse: a seated female figure holding an olive branch, her hand resting on a shield bearing the letters ‘J.H.’, to her left a man dives into water; reverse inscribed, ‘Presented to John Hardie, Jr. who on August 17, 1931 in the Richelieu River, Canada, saved a life from drowning, exhibiting splendid courage and bravery, and winning the everlasting gratitude of John Ernest Stein’, 34mm., 14ct. gold, with gold top bar, ‘For Bravery’; Royal Canadian Humane Society Medal, bronze, reverse inscribed, ‘John Hardie Jr., Richelieu River, Canada, August 17, 1931’, complete with ‘Bravery’ top bar, extremely fine (2) £400-500

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

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On 17 August 1931, the yacht Buck Jones, of the New York Yacht Club, was anchored in the Port of St. Johns, Quebec, on the Richelieu River, near the premises of the St. Johns Yacht Club. The seven year old son of the yacht’s owner, John Ernest Stein of New York, was enjoying a swim in the river when he got into difficulties and shouted for help. The yacht’s cook, Williamson Vestes, plunged into the river and contacted the boy whilst a crew from the yacht, including John Hastie had launched a boat and were rowing towards the boy and Vestes. The pair were reached and the boy taken on board the boat, but Vestes, in an exhausted condition, slipped beneath the surface of the water and drowned. The boy was subsequently taken to the yacht and made a full recovery. The body of Williamson Vestes was not recovered until sometime later.

John Ernest Stein suitably rewarded the family of Williamson Vestes and also presented gold medals to the crew of the rescue boat. The Royal Canadian Humane Society also presented bronze medals to men of the rescue crew. With copied research.