Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

The Royal Society of Arts, The Thomas Gray Memorial Trust’s Silver Medal, by Percy Metcalfe, struck by John Pinches, obv. bust of Prince Philip left, ‘Prince Philip President MCMLII’; rev. the front elevation of the Royal Society’s premises in John Adam Street, upon arches over symbolic water, ‘Royal Society of Arts 1754’ (1966. Awarded to H. G. Blowers. M.B.E. for a deed of Professional Merit performed at Sea), 57mm., silver, in green leather case of issue, ref: Eimer 2082; Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, May 1967, p.413; Medals of John Pinches p.176, extremely fine, scarce £200-250

The Royal Society of Arts had a long tradition in promoting safety at sea - the Society awarded substantial premiums for advancements in the field of life-boat construction and lighthouse technology to name but two. Thomas L. Gray was a member of the Royal Society of Arts and Assistant Secretary at the Board of Trade and author of the rhyming ‘rules of the road at sea’. On Gray’s death in 1925, the Society received a legacy of £9,000 to promote ‘the advancement of the science of navigation and the scientific and educational interests of the British Mercantile Marine’. In 1942 the remit of the awards made by the trust administering the legacy was extended to include ‘outstanding deeds of professional merit’. The first award made under this new criteria was to Chief Engineer J. Wylie of the Ohio of ‘Operation Pedastal’ fame, who nursed his crippled ship to Malta with vital supplies. The award to Blowers was made under the same criteria. As a consequence of only the very highest deeds of professional merit being eligible for consideration, the medal was not awarded every year. The Thomas Gray Memorial Trust utilized the Royal Society of Arts silver prize medal, which, from 1954 onwards bore the head of its president, Prince Philip, on the obverse. In 1993, responsibility for the Thomas Gray Memorial Medal was passed to the Honorable Company of Master Mariners.

M.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1966. ‘Henry George Blowers, Esq., lately Trawler Skipper, Lowestoft’.

Henry George Blowers was born on 23 August 1903 in Lowestoft. Employed on trawlers, he gained his Second Hand Certificate in May 1929 and his Skipper’s Certificate in July 1930. In 1965, as Skipper of the trawler St. Martin of Lowestoft, he twice came to the aid trawlers disabled in high seas. For his actions he was awarded the M.B.E., a Silver Rose Bowl from the Board of Trade and The Thomas Gray Memorial Trust Silver Medal.

Extracts from a Board of Trade press notice dated 1 March 1966 read, ‘The President of the Board of Trade the Rt Hon. Douglas Jay M.P., has made an award to Mr H. G. Blowers, of 176 Clapham Road, Lowestoft, lately Skipper of the motor trawler St. Martin, in recognition of his skill and seamanship in towing the trawler Bermuda to Lowestoft from November 2 to 3, and for towing the trawler Kingfish to Lowestoft from November 30 to December 2, 1965.

At 1300 hours on Monday, 1 November, 1965, whilst fishing in the North Sea, Skipper Blowers received a radio message from the trawler Bermuda informing him that her engine had broken down and she was helpless in the face of a Force 10 gale. Skipper Blowers immediately went to her assistance ... St Martin finally came alongside at 1900 hours. Very heavy seas were running ... and the St. Martin decided to standby during the night and attempt to take Bermuda in tow in daylight.... The St. Martin towed Bermuda 130 miles to Lowestoft in conditions described as the worst for years; the tow took 22 hours. During the whole period of the operation the vessels did not touch and neither vessel received any damage.

On Monday, November 30, 1965, at 1100 hours, Skipper Blowers picked up a radio message that M/T Kingfish was in a very dangerous position with her engines out of action and dragging her anchor towards the South West Patch. At the time St. Martin was dodging the weather in the Silver Pits with winds SSE Force 10. Skipper Blowers immediately altered course and steamed at full speed towards the position of the Kingfish. At about 1240 hours the Kingfish was sighted and Skipper Blowers steamed within 1/4 mile of the vessel, then lay and prepared to tow. By 1400 hours the tow was ready but after only five minutes towing, the norman block on Kingfish’s forward starboard gallows collapsed but Skipper Blowers decided to continue towing. The weather now was very bad the wind bearing SSE increasing to Force 11-12. St. Martin managed to hold Kingfish steering westerly until 2310 hours when the tow parted.... At 0600 hours on Tuesday, December 1 the tow was re-connected and towing recommenced at 0800 hours. The wind continued to increase and by now was hurricane force. The Kingfish was taking heavy seas over her entire length and was pitching and rolling heavily. At about noon one of the warps parted again. .. At about 1600 hours on December 1 the remaining warp parted. The wind was then Force 10-11 with waves about 30 feet high. Kingfish managed to get her main anchor down ... At about 0500 hours on December 2 the warps were reconnected and St. Martin resumed towing .... At midnight on December 2 both vessels were berthed in Waveney Dock, Lowestoft. But for the experience and fine seamanship of Skipper Blowers there is little doubt that the Kingfish and possibly her crew would have been lost’.

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