Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 1st type, silver, medallion, 56mm (For nobly proceeding in British Queen’s Boat to assistance of Crew of Schooner Happy Return on Burbo. Sea dangerous & capsized the Boat, June 1864) additionally inscribed in obverse field ‘Ed. Jones’, fitted with a contemporary silver claw and loop suspension with silver ribbon buckle, edge bruise, otherwise very fine £280-£320

Extract from Society Records:

‘The two latest Medals awarded were, a gold one to Mr Daniel H. Morison, and a silver one to Edward Jones, for their heroic conduct on the late occasion of the wreck of the Happy Return on Burbo, from being struck by a sea which opened the stern, filled the cabin, and damaged her rudder, so that she was not under command of the helm. On the accident being seen from the screw steamer British Queen, then entering the river, six men, all who volunteered for the service, manned one of the steamer’s boats, and under the command of Mr Morison, second officer of the steamer, succeeded in reaching the wreck after an ineffectual attempt in the gig, but so fearful a sea was running that, while they were saving the schooner’s crew, and had already got two men into the boat, a heavy wave struck it and drowned five seamen of the British Queen and the two men of the Happy Return, only Mr Morison and Edward Jones being saved.’