Orders, Decorations and Medals

The rare C.Q.D. ‘Gold Medal’ and Lloyd’s Life Saving Medal pair awarded to Captain J. B. Ransom, S.S. Baltic

Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, small type, silver (Capt. J. B. Ranson - S.S. “Republic” 23 January 1909) in case of issue; C.Q.D. ‘Gold’ Medal, silver-gilt, inscribed on the edge ‘J. B. Ransom’, and contained in its original wooden presentation box, the interior silk lining gold embossed with the recipient’s name, extremely fine and extremely rare, only four of the latter awarded (4) £1800-2200

Resolved:- ‘That the Silver Medal of theSociety be bestowed upon Captain J. B. Ransom, R.N.R., as an honorary acknowledgement of his extraordinary exertions in contributing to the saving of life on the occasion of the steamships “Republic” and “Florida” being in collision in the vicinity of the Nantucket Lightship on the 23rd January, 1909.’

Two ships on different errands steamed towards each other through a thick blanket of fog south of the Nantucket Light in the early hours of 23 January 1909. One was the White Star’s 15,400-ton Republic, bound for the Mediterranean with more than 400 winter sun-seekers on board. The other was the 5,018-ton Lloyd Italiano liner Florida, heading for New York with hundreds of emigrants on board, refugees from the recent Messina earthquake.

At about 5.40 a.m. the two ships crashed and then veered apart. Aboard the Republic, radio officer Jack Binns immediately sent the distress call C.Q.D. - “Come Quick, Danger” - unaware that he was making history. The call was picked up by the White Star’s own 24,000-ton Baltic through Marconi’s shore station at Siasconsett, Massachusetts, and Captain Ransom promptly turned about when he was informed of Republic’s plight. As soon as the Baltic reached the Republic, at nearly 7 o’clock that night, she began to take on all the passengers from both ships, those of the Republic and the 800 from the Florida.

On the evening of the following day, the Republic was seen to be sinking rapidly and the remaining crew were taken off or plucked from the sea. She sank in forty-five fathoms just south of Martha’s Vineyard Island. The Italian liner’s collision bulkhead held and she was able to reach New York, where she was repaired within a month. Crowds lined the wharves at New York when the Baltic docked shortly after 1.0 p.m. on the 25th January. The Baltic’s passengers decided to pay for commemorative medallions recognizing the bravery of the seamen who had taken part in the rescue and the American wrist watch millionaire, Ralph Ingersoll, agreed to strike the medals and distribute them to all members of the crews of the Baltic, Republic and Florida. There were four special ones in gold [silver-gilt], which went to the three captains and to Jack Binns, the radio officer on the Republic.