Silver Lifesaving Medal of the Oranje Corporation Underwriter Insurer of Ships, obv. within an ornamental border impressed, ‘Uitgereikt voor Edelmoedige Redding der Bemanning v/h Schip “Alfa” de 10den Maart 1926’ (Presented for the courageous rescue of the crew of the ship “Alfa”, 10 March 1926); rev. rayed star above, branch of laurel below, and impressed, ‘Ver. Oranje verz. van Schepen Gevestigd te Groningen’ (Oranje Corporation Insurer of Ships, established in Groningen), 40mm., silver, ball and ring suspension, about very fine £60-80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Boddington Collection of Life Saving Medals.

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The Alfa was first insured by the corporation in 1919 and is recorded as being of 190 tons and insured for 18,140 Florins.

A letter to the Oranje Corporation, from Willy Rieck, dated 23 July 1933, requested a replacement medal and provides some details of the incident: ‘On 10 March 1926 we, on board of the salvage steamship Wotan, rescued the crew of the Dutch sea tjalk Alfa. As a reward for this, which we gladly did and which is also our human duty, we received from you a certificate as well as a medal. At the time I was the first engineer on board of the Wotan. As I have always considered this reward as my most precious one and because I feel a bond with Holland due to the fact that I was stationed on board the Wotan and the Hermes at Flushing for 4 years, I kindly request you whether you are still in possession of such a medal as I lost mine. ...’ Sold with copied research.