Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Rev. C. W. Hutchinson. 23rd Sept. 1916.) with integral top riband buckle, good very fine £100-£140

R.H.S. Case no. 42,925: ‘At 12.50pm on the 23rd September, 1916, a boy fell into the Thames at Woolwich and was carried out about 30 yards by the strong ebb tide. The Rev. C. W. Hutchinson jumped in and succeeded in bringing him to land.’

The following additional detail is provided by The Woolwich Herald, 29 September 1916:

‘A very gallant act was performed on Saturday morning by the Rev. C. W. Hutchinson, priest-in-charge of St. Saviour’s Mission Woolwich, who has latterly become well known in the district through his activities in connection with the welfare of the Arsenal boy-workers.

At about mid-day Arthur South, aged 12, of Paradise Place, Woolwich, was playing on the steps leading to the river at Bell Water Gate, Woolwich, when he fell into the water whilst attempting to reach a floating box. The tide was running swiftly at the time, and the boy was rapidly being carried away and had already disappeared twice when Mr. Hutchinson, attracted by the screams of other children, ran out from the mission-house and, without pausing even to remove his coat, dived in to the rescue.

By this time the boy had been carried into very deep water, about 50 yards away, but, swimming strongly, Mr. Hutchinson succeeded in reaching him in the nick of time and brought him safely ashore amid the cheers of a large crows. After being dried and warmed at the mission-house the boy was able to go home, none the worse for his narrow escape.’

Sold with copied research.