Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

A scarce silver Sea Gallantry Medal group of six awarded to Gunner S. C. A. Smith, Royal Navy, for saving life at the wreck of the S.S. Delhi, later shot dead by an Arab fanatic in the Persian Gulf in February 1915

Sea Gallantry Medal, Silver, G.V.R. (Samuel Charles A. Smith, R.N., “Delhi”, 13 Dec. 1911); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (Gunr., R.N., H.M.S. Mashona); 1914-15 Star Trio (Gnr., R.N.); Royal Humane Society, bronze (Successful) (Samuel C. A. Smith, R.N., 15th Dec. 1911), complete with bronze ribbon buckle, together with companion miniatures of the first and last, nearly extremely fine (8) £1000-1200

S.G.M. awarded by the Board of Trade for services at the wreck of the S.S. Delhi, stranded during a gale on the coast of Morocco, near Cape Apartel, on 13 December 1913. Among members of a Royal party on board at the time were the Princess Royal and the Duke of Fife. The rescue operations lasted for five days and Mr. Smith, Gunner of H.M.S. London, ‘showed great zeal. Swam out and saved a Lascar from the Delhi on 15 December 1911.’ Six Silver and thirteen Bronze Medals were awarded for this rescue.

Royal Humane Society, Case No. 38,839: ‘The Lascars were being taken off the Delhi when one of them was washed away 70 yards from shore in deep water. Smith swam after him and got him to the Delhi and they were hauled on board.’

Samuel Charles Arthur Smith was born at Ashted, near Birmingham, on 19 October 1877, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 6 December 1892. He rose to Petty Officer 1st Class in September 1901, and was commissioned as Gunner in June 1907. After service aboard Torpedo Boat Destroyers, he was appointed to the armed launch Mashona in November 1913, for operations in the Persian Gulf (44 Medals to R.N. personnel and 66 to Indian ratings). He joined the R.I.M. ship Comet in the Persian Gulf on 1 January 1915, but was shot dead by an Arab fanatic on the 1st February 1915. Gunner Smith is buried in Basra War Cemetery, Iraq.