Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 2nd small type bronze (E. F. Jones, of S.S. “Cawdor Castle”, 1st October 1911) in case of issue, extremely fine £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Life Saving Awards.

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Ex Fevyer Collection, D.N.W. 25 September 2008.

‘At 8.50 a.m. on the 1st October, 1911, in the North Sea, the Union Castle Steamer “Cawdor Castle” sighted the Dutch Steamer “Willy” flying signals of distress. It was blowing a gale with a high sea.

The “Willy”, with a heavy list to starboard, rolled badly, and the crew who were on the bridge wearing life-jackets signalled that they wished to abandon the vessel. The “Cawdor Castle’s” starboard lifeboat was accordingly cleared away and manned by a crew of 6 seamen in charge of the Chief Officer. The boat was successfully launched and left for the “Willy”, now a quarter of a mile away. By this time she had listed much more and the seas were breaking completely over the foredeck. The sea was very heavy, with squalls of hurricane force. After several attempts the lifeboat succeeded in getting under the lee of the Willy, and the crew of 16 men were safely taken into the lifeboat, some of them having to jump into the water to reach it. Twenty minutes after the last of the crew had left the “Willy” she heeled over and sank by the head in 31 fathoms of water. The boat reached the “Cawdor Castle” badly damaged and half full of water, while the crew and survivors were completely exhausted. All hands were safely taken on board, and after the gear had been taken out of the lifeboat it was abandoned. The time occupied in the rescue was about 2 1/2 hours’.

The Committee of Lloyd’s awarded their Silver Medal for Saving Life at Sea to Chief Officer Henry Broderick Harvey and the Bronze Medal to Quartermaster Ernest Frank Jones and each of the five other members of the boat’s crew for their services in saving the life of the crew of the Dutch steamer Willy. The South Holland Lifeboat Institution awarded the Captain and Chief Officer of the Cawdor Castle their Gold Medal, and awarded their Silver Medal and £1 to each other member of the boat’s crew.

Sold with copied research.