Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Royal Humane Society Medal group of three awarded to Chief Petty Officer J. Shapter, Royal Navy

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Witu 1890 (J. Shapter, C.P.O., H.M.S. Humber); Royal Humane Society, small silver medal (suuccessful) (Capt. of Fore Top, H.M.S. “Nautilus” 26th Oct. 1886); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal ((successful) (Joseph Shapter, A.B., H.M.S. “Achilles” 1st Feby. 1877), with Second Award Bar, this uninscribed, and bronze buckle brooch bar, some contact marks, very fine (3) £700-900

Joseph Shapter was born in Plymouth on 27 August 1859. A Farm Servant by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 16 December 1872 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in December 1873. Serving on H.M.S. Challenger, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in 1875 and Able Seaman in May 1876. Serving on H.M.S. Achilles, he was promoted to Leading Seaman in January 1878; derated to Able Seaman in January 1879; promoted once more to Leading Seaman in January 1879 and was advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class in April 1880. Shapter was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class in November 1880 when on H.M.S. Royal Adelaide and was appointed Captain’s Coxswain in August 1881 when on H.M.S. Belleisle. Rated Petty Officer 1st Class in December 1885 when on H.M.S. Royal Adelaide once more. He attained the rate of Chief Petty Officer in October 1887 when again on H.M.S. Royal Adelaide but was derated to Leading Seaman in October 1892 on H.M.S. Shannon. He managed to regain his rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class in April 1893 and Petty Officer 1st Class in December 1894 before being pensioned in August 1895. Shapter joined the R.F.R. in March 1903 and was discharged due to his age in August 1907.

Despite his patchy service record and marked lack of a L.S. & G.C. Medal, Shapter was a brave man and was responsible for three rescues:

At 4 pm on 1 February 1877, at Rock Ferry in the Mersey Estuary, Ordinary Seaman C. J. Crocker of the Achilles fell out of the ship’s boat when it capsized and was seen to be in some difficulties in the icy waters. Shapter jumped overboard and supported him until a rescue boat arrived. For this rescue Shapter was awarded the R.H.S. Bronze Medal (Case no. 20082).

Shapter was Captain’s Coxswain when at 7 pm on 30 March 1882, on the Gallenas River, West Africa, he rescued several persons when their boat capsized about half a mile from a beach on which heavy surf was breaking. The people in the water were in danger of being taken out to sea where there were many sharks. Shapter assisted and supported all those that required help by swimming out to them with oars or anything he could find that floated, keeping them afloat for upwards of an hour until they were picked up by a boat. For this he was awarded the bar to his bronze medal (Case no. 21729).

At 11 am on 26 October 1886, H.M. Brig Nautilus was at sea off Plymouth when a Boy named John Whitmore fell from the hammock nettings into the sea. Captain of the Fore Top Shapter, without removing his clothes, jumped in after him and assisted in supporting him until a boat arrived. There was a heavy sea on at the time, with half a gale blowing making conditions difficult. For his bravery he was awarded the R.H.S. Silver Medal (Case no. 23350).

With copied research.