Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Commissioned Boatman Albert Oaten, HM. Coastguard - awarded the Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate Medal for the rescue of the Benvenue, 11 November 1891 - an ‘Albert Medal’ rescue

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (A. Oaten, A.B., H.M.S. Agincourt); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R. (Albert Oaten, Comd. Boatn., H.M. Coast Guard) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed; Folkestone Hythe and Sandgate Medal, by Heminig & Co., London, obverse: bust of Queen Victoria; reverse inscribed, ‘Folkestone Hythe and Sandgate to Albert Oaten, 11th November 1891 “He Bravely did his duty”’, 47mm., silver, unmounted, this in damaged case of issue, edge bruising, very fine and better (4) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Life Saving Awards from the Collection of John Wilson.

View
Collection

In a violent gale which swept the coasts of Kent and Sussex on 11 November 1891, the French schooner, Eider, was driven against the seawall at Seabrook, near Hythe and the iron sailing ship, Benvenue, en-route from London to Sydney, ran aground off Sandgate. Coastguardmen from Hythe were able to rescue four from the Eider as she began to break up. A valiant attempt to reach the Benvenue, by the Sandgate lifeboat, the Meyer de Rothschild, was unsuccessful, the lifeboat being overturned in the surf and one man killed. Attempts to reach the wreck by rocket apparatus were similarly unsuccessful. The Dover lifeboat was with difficulty launched and headed for the scene but in the meantime a scratch crew of coastguardmen and fishermen from Folkestone and the surrounding area was gathered together and were able to launch a lifeboat. In heavy seas and with great difficulty the wreck was reached and the rescue was accomplished. The lifeboat returned to Folkestone to be greeted by a large crowd.

For his part in the rescue operations, Lawrence Hennessey, Boatman of the Hythe Coastguard Station, was awarded the Albert Medal in Bronze.

Sir Edward Watkin, a director of the South Eastern Railway, made monetary awards to the rescuers and decided that a medal should also be awarded. His wife undertook the design of the medal, the dies of which were prepared by Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854 - 1934), the renowned sculptor of ‘Eros’ in Piccadilly Circus. The medals were manufactured by Heming & Co, London. The medals were presented on 1 January 1892 by the Mayor, Mr S. Penfold, who opened his speech with the words, ‘The very pleasing duty now devolves upon me of distributing the medals which have been so kindly given by Sir Edward Watkin, to those brave men who, on 11th November, gallantly went out in the lifeboat, at different periods of the day, for the purpose of rescuing men in danger of their lives.’

Commissioned Boatman Albert Oaten was one of the crew of the Sandgate lifeboat - Mayer de Rothschild. In the photograph he is identified as the fifth from left on the back row.

See The Folkestone, Hythe and Sandgate Medal by George Callaghan & John Wilson, L.S.A.R.S. Journal 46, p3 -17 and a letter, L.S.A.R.S. Journal 47, p.87.

Albert Oaten was born in Taunton on 4 November 1856. He entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 11 February 1873 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in March 1874. Promoted to Ordinary Seaman in December 1874 when on H.M.S. Swiftsure and Able Seaman in September 1877 when on H.M.S. Cockatrice. During his time aboard H.M.S. Agincourt, May 1882-July 1884, he saw service in Egypt. Oaten was appointed a Boatman in the Coastguard in October 1885 and a Commissioned Boatman in June 1891, being based firstly at Dover and then at Hythe. He was pensioned in October 1895 but joined the R.F.R. at Chatham, September 1901-November 1906 until discharged due to his age.

With a quantity of copied research.