Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea pair awarded to Petty Officer W. Sutherland, Royal Navy, for his gallantry in rescuing nine members of the crew of the Japanese steamer Ryujin Maru, which was wrecked in heavy seas off Foochow on 4 November 1931; he later served in H.M.S. Sikh during the Second World War

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J.105012 W. Sutherland. P.O. H.M.S. Sikh.); Lloyd’s Medal for Saving Life at Sea, 2nd small type, bronze (Acting Leading Seaman William Sutherland No C/J105012 S.S. “Ryujin Maru” 4th. November 1931.) in embossed case of issue, good very fine, first rare to ship (2) £260-£300

William Sutherland was born in Glasgow on 9 December 1905 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 26 November 1921. He served as an Acting Leading Seaman in the Aircraft Carrier H.M.S. Hermes from 3 October 1930, and received a Hurt Certificate in 1931. He was still serving in her when, on 4 November 1931, he was among those crew members who undertook a hazardous boat trip in heavy seas to collect survivors from the Japanese steamer Ryujin Maru which was wrecked on the Tan Rocks near Foochow - nine men were plucked to safety; three officers received the Silver Medal, and six ratings (including Sutherland) the Bronze Medal. The official Admiralty report on the incident states:
‘The prompt and unpanicking obedience to orders on the part of the crew of the cutter is the only reason that the cutter returned in heavy seas with nine Japanese survivors. All the crew are to be commended, especially Lieutenant-Commander Harrison, who sailed the cutter on both trips. He displayed the absolute maximum of efficiency in handling the boat during the whole period. He never shouted, yet he never had to repeat an order, and during the second trip, when the boat was full of water and becoming unmanageable, his handling of her was magnificent.’

The Singapore Freepress carries on the story:
‘Great difficulty was experienced in getting the boat alongside the wreck owing to the heavy surf and the close proximity of rocks on the three sides of the wreck. A large quantity of water found its way into the boat and the pintle of the rudder sheered but nine of the crew of the wreck were taken off and the boat got away without loss of life returning to H.M.S. Hermes under sail and being hoisted without accident. A second attempt was made by the Hermes to rescue the remainder of the crew but as the wind and sea were by that time very much worse and sea were by that time very much worse this had to be abandoned when the boat was close to the wreck.
In his report the Commander-in-Chief China Station, the captain of H.M.S. Hermes wrote “I cannot speak to highly of the seamanship displayed by Commander F. R. Baxter and those officers and men under him who went away in the seaboat on the two occasions or of the cool and efficient manner in which they extricated the cutter from the very awkward position alongside the wreck with the seas breaking over them and rocks close to leeward.”
It may be of interest to recall that the Committee of Lloyd’s [last] made awards of medals in 1912 to officers and men of the Royal Navy in connexion with the rescue of Chinese coolies when the steamer Hong Moh was wrecked on the White Rocks, Lamock Island [East China], in March of that year. [One gold and five silver awards].’

One of the crew described the events thus:
‘The Ryujin Maru, a Japanese Steamship, succeeded in wedging herself firmly on the rocks; in response to her S.O.S. we anchored nearby at 10.45 p.m. on the 3rd of November, and, by searchlight and starshell, located the wreck, which was in no immediate danger. The wind was N.N.E. force 6, blowing directly into the opening; there was a considerable sea running, and nothing could be done until morning except to burn searchlights to discourage pirates. The coast runs approximately north and south, at its southern part curving down to the eastward to form a bay astern of the wreck, which itself was firmly on the rocks, heading north, with a large rock astern, another rock close on the starboard bow and one, subsequently discovered, on the port quarter. It was difficult to see how she had got there. We shifted berth until we were about four cables somewhat forward of the starboard beam of the Ryujin Maru, and lowered the 2nd cutter which, after an adventurous trip to the port side of the wreck discovering the aforementioned rock on the port quarter-returned with nine reluctant Japanese, leaving eighteen on board. The commander, assisted by the first lieutenant when lying astern in the boat on its return, brightened the day by his reply to the officer of the watch's suggestion that they might like breakfast passed down to the boat. We gathered that they would prefer breakfast inboard, and the boat was hoisted with horrifying thuds due to the wire falls.
The impression gained by officers who took part in the trip was that the famed oriental calm and immobility in the face of danger was due less to stoicism or courage than to sheer mental numbness. However they had just had a very trying time, and the orientals concerned, after food and warming, expressed their gratitude by cleaning brightwork. Later in the forenoon the other cutter went away, but was forced to return as the sea had become more confused and the wind, if anything, stronger. The Madras Maru arrived and stood by all day. The next day, the 5th of November, the sea had eased slightly and the Madras Maru took up a billet about a mile ahead of the wreck and sailed a boat down with a line attached, then hauling it back with some more survivors. This was repeated and the boat was nearly lost, as it drifted past the Ryujin Maru and just missed the rocks. It succeeded in getting clear and was picked up by the Madras Maru. A Japanese destroyer was also standing by, and as there was nothing more we could do we sailed for Hong Kong in the dog watches.’

Sutherland was presented with his bronze medal on 6 December 1932. Ten years later, on 9 April 1942, H.M.S. Hermes was destroyed by the Japanese with the loss of over 300 lives.

Sutherland later served on H.M.S Sikh from 12 October 1938 to 25 April 1940, and saw service during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. He was awarded his Long Service Good Conduct Medal on 13 November 1938, probably the first one to the ship, and one of only 6 Long Service Good Conduct Medals believed to have been named to H.M.S. Sikh between 1938-1942, when she was finally sunk; she had also helped sink the famous German ship Bismarck in 1941. By the end of the War he had been promoted to Chief Petty Officer, and was shore pensioned on 16 October 1945.