Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Sea Gallantry Medal group of six awarded to Leading Boatman H. O. Welch, H.M. Coast Guard

Sea Gallantry Medal, E.VII.R., small 2nd issue, silver (Henry Oscar Welch, “Bessie Arnold” 28th December 1908) suspension tightened/refitted; British War Medal 1914-20 (162859 H. O. Welch, Lg. Btn., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (162859 H. O. Welch, Boatn., H.M. Coast Guard); Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Life Saving Medal, 40mm, bronze, the obverse featuring a lifeboat being rowed towards a sailing ship in distress in high seas; the reverse inscribed (name engraved) ‘To H. O. Welch, he risked his own to save another’s life’; Marine Society Reward of Merit, silver, the reverse inscribed, ‘Henry Oscar Welch, 5th June 1902’, mounted for court-style display, edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine and better (6) £700-£900

Henry Oscar Welch was born in Chigwell, Essex on 8 May 1876. He entered the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class from the training ship Warspite on 13 September 1891 and attained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class in May 1903. In March 1904 he transferred to the Coastguard as a Boatman, being advanced to Leading Boatman in January 1912. He served at various Scottish stations until he was demobilised in July 1919. He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. in May 1905.

As a Boatman of the Coastguard at Kildonan, Welch was awarded one of 74 E.VII.R. small second type silver Sea Gallantry Medals for an incident on 28 December 1908. The official citation states: ‘The Bessie Arnold, of Whitehaven, stranded 9 miles from the Life Saving Apparatus Station at Kildonan. A rocket was fired but no one on board secured the line. A body was seen among the wreckage and Welch at great risk entered the surf and brought it ashore, where life was found to be extinct. The other three of the crew were also drowned.’ (taken from BT261/5).

The Bessie Arnold had left Millom bound for Glasgow on 26 December 1908. She stranded in a severe gale at Sliddery, on the Isle of Arran. The James Stevens No.2, the lifeboat based at Campeltown was launched and approaching the ship, saw that the crew were still aboard. But as the lifeboat drew near she was thrown onto the schooner’s deck and holed and one of her crew was cast into the raging sea. Remarkably the lifeboatman was rescued and the damaged ship made its way back to Campeltown whilst the coastguardmen on shore began their rescue efforts.

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