Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, silver (Mr. Robert P. Gittins. 2nd Officer S.S. “Londonian” A Volunteer in S.S. “Vedamore’s” Boat After Being Himself Rescued From The “Londonian” On 26/11/98) with silvered brooch buckle, minor contact marks, otherwise nearly extremely fine £200-£260

The heroic efforts made in rescuing men from the stricken Londonian is related in the Dictionary of Disasters at Sea, by Charles Hocking:

‘The (Wilsons & Furness - Leyland Line) liner Londonian, Capt. E. B. Lee, left Boston, Mass., for London on November 15th, 1898, with a company of 70. The cargo consisted chiefly of grain, there being also 150 head of cattle. After about a week at sea the ship ran into foul weather, increasing later to a gale, and she began to make water; her steering-gear jammed and it became impossible to keep her head-on. The ship broached to and she was thrown on her beam ends, and her engine room flooded. The cattle were driven overboard to lighten the ship which continued to drift for two days and nights, until the morning of the 25th when she was sighted by the Johnston liner Vedamore, Capt. Bartlett. The captain of the Londonian asked to be taken in tow, but this the Vedamore’s captain declined to do, though he was prepared to take off the crew. About noon therefore Capt. Lee decided to abandon his ship and the Vedamore made an attempt to get a boat alongside, but after three hours struggle the boat returned without having rescued a single man. Other efforts by rocket and line from windward of the derelict were equally unsuccessful and operations had to be suspended until daybreak when lines attached to life-buoys were floated down to the Londonian. After many hours one of these was picked up and a heavier line taken on board. A lifeboat was lashed to this and was hauled to and fro between the ships, 22 men being saved in the first journey. At the second attempt the rope broke and the boat capsized. Another boat under Mr Doran, the first officer, was lowered by the Vedamore but this was smashed, the crew barely escaping with their lives. These efforts had lasted throughout the day and there was another pause during the hours of darkness. Next morning one of the Londonian’s boats was got over the side where it at once capsized, drowning all its occupants. A second boat got away with 23 men who were taken on board the Vedamore. All day attempts to effect further rescues continued but without success. At dawn on the morning of the 28th those on board the Vedamore saw no sign of the Londonian, so with the survivors on board the ship proceeded on her way to Baltimore. Meanwhile the derelict Londonian with Capt. Lee and seven men still on board was drifting helplessly with the gale. At midnight on the 28th one of their flares was seen by the German steamship Maria Rickmers, Capt. Grolsh, which sent a boat under Mr Lenz, the second officer. After a struggle of many hours a line was passed to the ship and all the survivors were taken off. The number of drowned was 17, and 45 men were rescued by the Vedamore and eight by the Maria Rickmers’.

Robert Philip Gittins was born in Liverpool in January 1866. He joined the merchant navy, passing for Second Mate in June 1890, First Mate in September 1891, and Master in February 1893. For the Londonian incident Gittins was also awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in silver; and a gold watch and chain from the citizens of Baltimore, U.S.A., in recognition of their services in rescuing their shipmates when the “Londonian” was abandoned in the North Atlantic. For service in the Great War as Master of the S.S. Antillian, he was awarded the British and Mercantile Marine War medals. He died in Cheshire on 19 March 1956.