Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A United States Lines Distinguished Service Award and Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York group of four awarded to Boatswain D. Gillan, Mercantile Marine, for gallantry in rescuing the Master and five crew from the Schooner Mabel A. Frye in high seas off Newfoundland, 3 October 1936

British War Medal 1914-20 (David Gillan); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (David Gillan); United States Lines Distinguished Service Award in Gold, gilt and enamel, reverse inscribed ‘Awarded by the Board of Directors to David Gillan Oct. 3. 1936 for Heroic Action in the Performance of Duty’; Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York Medal, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘D. Gillian [sic]’, with suspension bar engraved ‘October 3, 1936’, last with original named card box of issue, extremely fine (4) £500-600

Provenance: Spink, March 1996.

David Gillan was born in North Shields, Northumberland, in 1896, and joined the Merchant Navy as an apprentice with the Prince Line, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 18 August 1911, serving during the Great War in the Merchant Navy. In 1936 he was serving as a Boatswain in the United States Lines’ steamer American Merchant. Built in 1920 as a cargo vessel, she had accommodation for 80 tourist class passengers and was off Newfoundland on 3 October 1936 when she sighted the schooner Mabel A. Frye in distress:

‘She had been battered for five days and was drifting helplessly, with seven feet of water in her hold, her lifeboats smashed, and her pumps clogged. Her crew was burning kerosene-drenched blankets in the hope of attracting passing ships when the American Merchant sighted her. Captain Moore and Chief Officer Christiansen and six seamen manned the lifeboat that went over to the sinking vessel. High seas and strong winds made the rescue difficult and dangerous. The men were David Gillan, a boatswain; Alfred Moss, quartermaster, and seamen John Hadlock, Edward Granat, Frank Maria, and Timothy Morley.’ (Newspaper cutting refers).

For their heroic work at this rescue, all eight of the rescuers were awarded the United States Lines Distinguished Service Award in gold, which up until that time had only been awarded twice before, and the Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York’s Medal in Bronze ‘for saving human life in Peril’. Gillan was also awarded the Kate Smith Award for Heroism.

Sold together with the recipient’s Kate Smith Award for Distinguished Personal Heroism Certificate, dated New York, 22 October 1936; the recipient’s Ordinary Apprentice’s Indenture Certificate, dated 18 August 1911; newspaper cuttings regarding the rescue; and a photograph of the recipient.