Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Board of Trade Rocket Apparatus Proof of Service at a Wreck Medallion (2), bronze (John Gibbs. ‘Mohegan’ October 14th 1898’; Jack Ellis Rocket Apparatus Rescue March 1901 ‘Voorspoed’) both impressed naming, the second pierced at top, nearly very fine and better (2) £30-£40

The S.S. Mohegan ran onto the Manacles at 6.50pm on 14 October 1898 having taken an incorrect bearing whilst steaming along the South Cornish coast. The ship sank in less than 12 minutes with a loss of 106 lives, the survivors being rescued by the Porthoustock lifeboat Charlotte. The demise of all the officers aboard meant that no explanation could be found for the disaster.

The Dutch vessel Voorspoed ran ashore on Perran Beach, North Cornwall, in March 1901, after being caught in a northerly gale whilst on its way from Cardiff to Bahia in Brazil. The Captain later commented: ‘I have been wrecked in different parts of the world, even the Fiji islands, but never amongst savages such as those of Perranporth.’