Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Anthony Gerrighty, Private R.M.L.I. 28 July 1878) with bronze buckle on ribbon, edge bruise, very fine £ 180-220

Private Anthony Gerrighty, R.M.L.I. was awarded both the Albert Medal 2nd Class for Saving Life at Sea and the Royal Humane Society’s Bronze Medal for saving life.

His citation reads: ‘On the night of the 27th July last, at 10p.m., a lunatic named Field, on his passage home in the transport ship Baron Colonsay, of Greenock, broke away from the sentry in the sick berth and climbed to the foretop-gallant yard. Men were sent aloft to try and prevent his falling, but on their approach, he struck one of them on the head. After remaining aloft all night calling “murder”, etc., he came down about 5 a.m. on the 28th. The sentries placed to watch him tried to secure him but he jumped overboard. Gerrighty instantly jumped after him and though struck at with a knife, which Field had in his hand, succeeded in rescuing him. This occurrence took place in latitude 36 deg. 26 min. N., longitude 2 deg. 52 min. W., the ship going eight knots and a fresh breeze blowing.’

It is recorded in The Globe and Laurel, of March 1919 that Gerrighty presented his Albert Medal and Royal Humane Society Medal to the Officers of his old division. The R.H.S. Medal held by R.M. Museum has a small ‘R’ alongside the naming on the rim, suggesting it is an official replacement and that the medal above is an original.

With copied research relating to his life saving exploits; together with a number of copied R.M. service papers - showing that he had been entered into the defaulter’s book many times - he clearly liked a drink! He was also imprisoned for desertion two years before his act of gallantry. When he deserted from the R.M.L.I. he appears to have joined the 17th Lancers.