Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Charles Jelbert, Coastguard Auxiliary - twice the recipient of the R.S.P.C.A’s. bronze medal for rescuing animals in Cornwall

Coastguard Auxiliary Long Service Medal, E.II.R., reverse inscribed, ‘C. Jelbert’, in Royal Mint case of issue; R.S.P.C.A. Life Saving Medal, bronze-gilt (Mr C. Jelbert-1937) complete with ‘For Humanity’ brooch bar, in damaged case of issue, extremely fine (2 £400-460

Charles Jelbert was born at Madron, Cornwall in 1898, the eldest son among eight children of William Jilbert (sic), a farmer. In 1912 his father drowned in Penzance Harbour during a trip to market and thereafter much of the work of the family farm at Lower Cranken, Gulval fell on his shoulders. A local newspaper report of November 1916 records that he was granted exemption from military service on this account.

The act which earned him his Bronze Medal was described in The Cornishman of 1 April, 1937:

‘It was a feat of bravery not in saving the life of a man, but the life of a foxhound,” said Col. E. H. W. Bolitho, Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, when at Trengwainton on Saturday afternoon, he presented bronze medals and certificates from the R.S.P.C.A. to two Zennor men.

The men were Mr William Nicholls and Mr Charles Jelbert, who had distinguished themselves by their courage in descending a cliff at Zennor and bringing up one of the Western Foxhounds.

Col. Bolitho recalled that one of the hounds, Chutney, had been lost over a Zennor cliff and was missing for several days. It was found by Mr. Nicholls and Mr. Jelbert, who volunteered to bring it up. They went to the cliff on the following day and found the hound where it had been the night before. As they could not climb down the side of the cliff that the hound was on, they had to go down a gully on one side. They then had to get a ladder and climb up to where the hound was. The hound was savage, and it was difficult to get near it. Mr. Jelbert went up the ladder but could not reach it, so he climbed up again and stood on a ledge, with no support. There was the hound; but they still could not get it. Then they went back, got something to eat for the starving hound, and by means of the food encouraged it to come down. With great care and courage, they managed to bring Chutney to the bottom.’

With original certificate for a bar to the Bronze Medal (not with lot), dated 31st July 1939, ‘for his courage and humanity in rescuing a cat from a disused mine shaft, 40 feet deep, at Zennor, Cornwall, on 12th February, 1939’, and six assorted original photographs, including two of Charles Jelbert on his wedding day. Together with copied extracts from The Cornishman and other copied research.