Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Ship’s Corporal J. A. MacLennan, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (J. A. MacLennan, Sh. Corpl., 2 Cl., H.M.S. Monarch); Khedive’s Star, 1882, unnamed; Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (unsuccessful) (Jas. MacLennan, Ships Corpl., H.M.S. Daphne, 24th November 1889) claw re-soldered on to medal, with bronze buckle on ribbon, first with contact marks, nearly very fine and better (3) £300-400

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

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Ship’s Corporal James MacLennan, R.N., serving aboard H.M.S. Daphne, was awarded the R.H.S. Medal in Bronze for attempting to save the life of Samuel Lavey from drowning in Callas Bay, Peru on 24 November 1889. Lavey was a merchant seaman from the barque Samakand. (R.H.S. Case No. 24,803).

‘Lavey was bathing and as the surf was running very strong his repeated efforts to reach the shore were ineffectual and he was carried seaward; 2 to 3 fathoms deep; 30 yards out. MacLennan jumped from the sea wall, 20 feet high, swam out to the man and tried to catch him by the hair, but this been so short he was unsuccessful and the man sank to rise no more.’

With copied R.H.S. extract.