Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An R.S.P.C.A. Life Saving Medal group of five awarded to Chief Inspector A. E. Watts, who in the course of his career rescued 24 sheep, 5 cats, 3 dogs, 3 horses, 1 pig, and 1 swan from danger

R.S.P.C.A. Life Saving Medal, silver (Insp. A. E. watts. 1955.) with integral top ‘For Humanity’ riband bar; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (5) £200-240

Albert Edward Watts was born in Cove, Hampshire, on 3 August 1916, and attested for the Royal Army Service Corps at Aldershot on 18 October 1939. He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France from 26 November 1939, and after spending a week in No 1 General Hospital in April 1940 was evacuated from north-west France on 23 June 1940. Posted to Egypt on 3 February 1941, he transferred to the Corps of Military Police on 1 August 1941, and was seconded to the police force of the British Military Administration in Eritrea on 3 May 1943. He was finally demobilised on 18 January 1946.

On 20 October 1947 he was appointed an R.S.P.C.A. Probationer, and was advanced to 4th Class Inspector on 28 June the following year, being posted to Merthyr Tydfil on 26 July 1948. A very ebullient man, well over 6 feet tall, he threw himself with enthusiasm into rescuing various animals from difficult and dangerous places. He was awarded the R.S.P.C.A. Bronze Medal for the rescue of a sheep on the river Taff on 10 February 1950, and received additional award bars to that medal for the rescue of two sheep from an island in the river Taff at Pontypridd on 22 February 1951; for the rescue of a dog from an air vent at Heolgerrig Mountain, Merthyr, and for the rescue of a lamb from a crevice on Gilfach Goch Mountain, Rhondda, both on 25 June 1953; and for the rescue of a pig from a crevice on Llandraw Mountain, Pontypridd, on 20 March 1954. His busiest day, for which he was awarded the R.S.P.C.A. Silver Medal, was for the rescue of a sheep from a quarry ledge at Ynyshir, for releasing a horse from a cattle grid at Bargoed Golf Course, and for rescuing a sheep from a quarry ledge at Pontypridd, all on 7 December 1955.

Promoted to Sub-Inspector on 31 December 1956, his last Welsh rescue was rescuing a sheep from a disused quarry at Penderyn on 25 June 1959, for four days later he was transferred to Loughborough. There he rescued nine sheep trapped on an island in the river Soar, at Barrow-on-Soar, on 26 January 1960. On 1 October 1962 he transferred to Brighton, and on 31 December of that year was promoted Chief Inspector. Despite now having a desk job, he found time for one further rescue, rescuing a swan that had a fishing hook and float attached to its beak at Falmer, Sussex, on Christmas Day 1969. He retired soon after, and died in Hove in 1981.