Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, G.V.R., silver (Benjamin Jacobs, Voted 11th February 1916), double-dolphin suspension, extremely fine

R.N.L.I. Medal in silver, awarded 14 April 1916 to Benjamin Jacobs, Coxswain of the Brooke Lifeboat. ‘4 February 1916: In a south-westerly gale raging on the night of the 3rd, the Norwegian barque Souvenir of Trevisand was wrecked to the south-east of Brooke, Isle of Wight. She had already become derelict and unmanageable in the violent gale off St. Catherine’s and drifted through the darkness, stranding hard and fast on the Great Stag Ledge in an area of comparitively shallow water studded with rocks.

The self-righting lifeboat Susan Ashley launched just before 8.30 a.m. but was unable to get alongside the wreck. The barque’s crew therefore donned lifebelts and jumped into the sea. Although they were carried in different directions, the lifeboat succeeded in picking up the nine crew, although the steward died shortly afterwards from exhaustion. The Master refused to leave his ship and stayed in his cabin. The vessel broke up before the lifeboat could return to try to save him, and his body was recovered next day.’

The recommendation for the award was made in February 1916 but only confirmed in April following an investigation into the events of the service.