Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, large bronze medal (successful) (Edward Cleary Seaman Vit. Ob. Serv. D.D. Soc. Reg. Hvm. 5th Octr 1864) fitted with ring suspension, light contact marks, very fine £140-£180

The following extract is taken from The Englishman, 8 October 1864:

‘The Destructive Cyclone at Calcutta 5th October 1864.

The cyclone of 1842 was terrible indeed, owing to the length of time it lasted, but the damages done were not half so great; as that of 1852, which only continued for two hours, was nothing compared to those of 1842 and 1864. In 1864 the shipping suffered considerably. Off the 200 ships in harbour, only 8 or 9 have escaped without suffering any material damage, and of the remaining vessels, as far as can be ascertained at present, 12 have foundered. The Lady Franklin is supposed to have foundered with all her crew on board, and the Govindpore, off the Bankshall, also went down. They were nine men on board the latter vessel, including the captain, and were it not for the singular gallantry and courage displayed by a seaman named Edward Cleary they might probably have all met with a watery grave. Mr J. B. Roberts was at the ghat with some of the police, endeavouring to pass on a rope to the ship, which was near the middle of the stream, but could not get a single man among the large number that was there to venture out into the river, though he offered a reward of 100 rupees to anyone who would do so. To swim out to the ship in such a gale was hopeless. Despite the danger, Cleary, who had just come up, without even knowing anything about a reward being offered, volunteered to swim over to the ship with a cable. He tied the rope around his waist, dashed into the water like a true Briton, and succeeded in reaching the ship fastening one of the ends to her bow, and returned amid tremendous cheering ashore. The nine men safely came ashore by means of the rope, the captain being the last man who left her. Cleary has had his hundred rupees, and will, no doubt, get many more for his exemplary conduct.’