Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Fire Medal, silver ‘Salvage Man Joseph Dean, for having rescued Two women from a house on fire. Dec. 6. 1891’, with integral top riband buckle, in fitted case of issue, extremely fine £240-£280

Sold with a distressed contemporary newspaper cutting detailing the rescue, which states that it took place in Bispham Street, Marylebone: ‘On arriving, the firemen found that the outbreak was in the cellar of a large house that was let off to various persons. from this cellar the flames were issuing, and when the information was given that three were three women in this part of the premises it seemed almost hopeless to rescue them alive. However, the fact that they were there was sufficient to indue the firemen to try every possible means in their power to save them. Firemen Elliott, of the Police Fire Brigade, and Dean, Reece, and Chief Officer Rolt, of the Salvage Corps, endeavoured to enter the cellar, but were repeatedly driven back owing to the fierceness of the flames and the intense heart. They, however, hearing sounds of moaning from inside, persevered and succeeded in bringing into the street two elderly women, who were wretchedly clad and had been terribly burned about the body. They had been almost suffocated by the smoke, whilst the burns were so extensive and so serious that it was quite clear that they were in a dangerous state. They were removed in the horse ambulance to the Northern Hospital, where they received the most careful treatment.’