Orders, Decorations and Medals

Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, V.R., large, bronze (John Lewis, Wreck of the “Zemira” on Newcome (sic) Sand, on the 7th October, 1858) edge bruising, very fine £200-250

The Tuscan barque Zemira, of Leghorn was carrying coal from Newcastle to Lowestoft. At 11 a.m., on 11 October 1858, the ship with 12 Italians and an English pilot on board, ran aground on the Newcombe Sands near Lowestoft, the wind blowing a hard gale from the S.W. at the time. As soon as they could the Pakefield boatmen made for the spot but by the time they had got there the vessel had broken up and disappeared. Despite the heavy seas breaking across the shoals, the lifeboat’s crew made a determined search and succeeded in picking up eight of the crew who had been holding on to pieces of floating wreckage. It was noted that the last man picked up was some 2 miles from where the ship broke up. The Captain of the Zemira, three of the crew and the English pilot all perished.

For their gallant service, the coxswain of the Pakefield Lifeboat was awarded the Board of Trade Silver Medal for Gallantry; the 22 members of the lifeboat’s crew, including John Lewis, were each awarded the medal in bronze. In addition the National Lifeboat Institution awarded each of the rescuers their highest monetary award - £2 each, and some £60 was raised by visitors to Lowestoft as a testimony to their admiration of the rescue and this too was shared between the men.