Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Life Saving group of three awarded to Petty Officer F. Lamport, Royal Navy, who served for nearly 20 years with the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert, and whose Royal Humane Society Medal in Bronze with a Second Award Bar represents 40 years in between gallant rescue attempts - the last being carried out on the River Thames in 1916, at the age of 63

British War Medal 1914-20 (72584 F. Lamport. P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Fk. Lamport, A.B. (Rigger) H.M.Y. Victoria & Albert.) impressed naming; Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Fredk. Lamport A.B. H.M.S. “Excellent”, 4th May 1876) with Second Award Bar, dated ‘2nd Aug. 1916’, lacking integral top bronze riband buckle, mounted for display, good very fine (3) £500-£700

R.H.S. Case no. 19,867: ‘At 1.30pm 4th May 1876 the sea at Spithead, 8 fathoms of water, Frederick W. Lamport, AB., HMS Excellent, jumped overboard from the gun-boat Skylark, going 6 knots under steam, swam to the man, A. McQuire, AB and supported him until picked up. Bronze Medal awarded.’

R.H.S. Case no. 42,616: ‘At 9.10pm on the 2nd August 1916, a boy accidentally fell into the Thames at Lambeth in a dangerous position between a barge and the quay. Frederick Lamport, 1st Class P.O., Anti-Aircraft Corps, aged 64 jumped in but failed to find him. Bronze Clasp awarded.’

Frederick Lamport was born in Fareham, Hampshire, in October 1852. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1867, and subsequently served with H.M. Ships Hercules and Glasgow before being posted to H.M.S. Excellent (Whale Island, Portsmouth) in July 1875.

Although serving at H.M.S. Excellent it was during gunnery practice on H.M.S. Skylark, that Lamport carried out his rescue attempt, for which he was to be awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal in Bronze. The Skylark’s Log for 4 May 1876 records that there was a premature explosion of the N0 4 after Breech Loarder, which blew 3 seamen (including McQuire) into the sea. All of the three seamen were rescued, and then taken to Haslar Hospital for treatment.

Lamport advanced to Able Seaman (Rigger) and was posted to the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert in March 1877. He served with the Royal Yacht for the next 18 years, and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. in January 1890. Lamport was Shore Pensioned in March 1903, after 36 years’ continuos service. He volunteered for service for ‘Hostilities only’ in February 1915, and was posted as a Petty Officer to H.M.S. President B. During the latter Lamport served as part of the Anti-Aircraft Corps stationed on the Thames. From here he carried out his second attempted rescue, some forty years after his first. Lamport was discharged in June 1918, age 65, and having served for 39 years with the Royal Navy.

Sold with copied service papers and research - the group featuring in an article included in The Life Saving Awards Research Society Journal (No. 49).