Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, V.R., silver, 1 clasp, Second Service (Mr Paul Curnow, voted 2nd March 1871), rev. of clasp engraved, ‘11th April 1889’, double-dolphin suspension, edge bruise and other more minor contact marks, very fine £500-600

Paul Curnow, Coxswain, St. Ives Lifeboat. A blacksmith by trade, he died in 1913, aged 93 years.

Silver Medal ‘11 February 1871: During a heavy gale the Youghal brigantine Queen was trying to enter St. Ives harbour, Cornwall, and in rounding the pier-head, she let go an anchor and the cable parted. She drifted about a mile to leeward and was brought up by a second anchor. The St. Ives self-righting lifeboat Covent Garden put out with some difficulty. After reaching and boarding the vessel, Coxswain Curnow helped to let go another anchor and took off the six man crew. The casualty continued to drift and went on to Carrack Gladden beach’.

Second Service Clasp ‘Awarded to Coxswain Curnow “who had resigned the post of Coxswain of the lifeboat which he had held for twenty years, having previously been Second Coxswain for six and half years”. In that time, the boat had saved 52 lives from different vessels. Services in the period were given to the brigantine Queen (1871), the schooners Rambler and Mary Ann, the brig Francis (1873), the schooner Jane Smith (1880) and the schooner Rosa Josephs (1881)’. (Ref. Lifeboat Gallantry by Barry Cox).