Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Inspector Alfred John Sanders, City of London Police

Jubilee 1887, clasp, 1897, City of London Police (PC. 653 A. Sanders); Coronation 1902, City of London Police (Insp. A. Sanders.); Balloon Society of Great Britain Medal, obverse: a hot air balloon, reverse: inscribed, ‘Alfred John Sanders, Actg. Sergt. City Police, For Bravery at Fires in the Parish of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, March 1893’, 32mm., bronze, with brooch bar, in case by E. Tyler, London, edge bruising, good very fine and better (3) £450-550

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

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Ex Jack Boddington Collection, D.N.W. 6 December 2006.

Alfred John Sanders was born in Heanton Punchardon, Devon in 1864 and twenty years later joined the City of London Police, attaining the rank of Inspector. During his early years of service, he received the Balloon Society of Great Britain Bronze Medal for Bravery in Saving Life. The Balloon Society was an educational and philanthropic society active in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

On 31 March (Good Friday) 1883, he rescued an old lady, Miss Bird, from the burning printing works of Messrs. Judd. Two days later he was again involved in saving life from a burning building, this time rescuing an aged caretaker, Mrs Fisher, from the top floor and in the process injuring his knee which required hospital treatment. He retired from the Police in 1909 and spent his retirement in Devon. He died in his house, ‘Pinehurst’, at Vellator, Braunton, Devon, on 13 August 1939. (See ‘The Balloon Society of Great Britain’, by S. Adams and J. Boddington, L.S.A.R.S. Journal 41, p.45-50 for futher information on the society and the rescues). Sold with an original photograph believed to be of the recipient, a draft of the journal article and a quantity of copied research including his police service papers and newspaper extracts concerning the rescues.