A Sea Gallantry Medal pair awarded to Able Seaman William Stewart, Merchant Navy, for services at the wreck of the Czarina, 1923 - the rescue being adjudged by the S.F. & M.R.B.S. to have been the most meritorious for the year - those concerned receiving the ‘Emile Robin’ award

Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., silver (William Stewart “Czarina” 28th December 1923) in case of issue; Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society, 6th type, silver (William Stewart (A.B.) S.S. “Cairnmona” December 28, 1923) straight bar suspension with ‘double dolphin’ slip bar and silver buckle on ribbon, nearly extremely fine (2) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Life Saving Awards formed by The Late W.H. Fevyer.

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Ex Edrington Collection 1980.

‘On the 28th December 1923 the barquentine Czarina of St. John’s, Newfoundland, was in distress in the North Atlantic in a heavy gale with hurricane force; her signals of distress were observed and answered about 10 p.m. by the Cairnmona, whose master manœuvred as closely as possible to the Czarina, and upon hailing the distressed crew ascertained that the only life-boat had been smashed, and lost overboard, together with all the sails and various spars. In spite of the very dark night and heavy seas which were running, a life-boat was got away from the Cairnmona in charge of Mr Baker and manned by the men named, proceeded with great difficulty to the shipwrecked vessel, which was rolling very heavily, and succeeded in taking off the crew of eight hands’. (Ref. Gallantry, p.405/406).

Chief Officer John Thompson Baker, Carpenter Edmund Smith and Able Seamen Robert Inglis, Daniel Gimlet and William Stewart were each awarded the Sea Gallantry Medal in silver. All except Stewart were awarded their medal by the King at an investiture on 12 February 1925. The medal to Stewart was, at his own request, handed over without ceremony by the Superintendent of the Board of Trade Mercantile Marine Office at South Shields on 31 May 1926.

The Newfoundland Government awarded a piece of plate to Captain John T. Berlin, Master of the Cairnmona; a pair of binoculars to Chief Officer Baker and a sum of money to the four ratings.

The rescue was chosen by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society as the most outstanding rescue by a British ship during the year 1923 and the officers concerned received the “Emile Robin” award. Sold with copied research.