Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Chief Petty Officer Marine Engineering Mechanic E. Marson, Royal Navy, who was awarded an Unsuccessful Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for attempting to save an Able Seaman at the Gibraltar Harbour on 8 March 1953

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (K874352T E. Marson A/CMEM HMS Jaguar); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Stoker Mechanic Edwin Marson. R.N. 8th March 1953.) lacking integral bronze riband buckle, mounted court-style for display, minor edge bruise to second, otherwise good very fine (2) £200-£240

One of only 23 Royal Humane Society Bronze Medals awarded in 1953.

R.H.S. Case no. 63,007:
‘Stoker Mechanic Edwin Marson, aged 20, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Rooke, attempted to save James Thomas Grieg, aged 66, Seaman of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave Premier in the Harbour, Gibraltar, at 4:20 p.m. on 8 March 1953. There was an easterly wind of force five (moderate breeze, 17-31 m.p.h.) gusting heavily at the time and the sea was very choppy. The RFA Wave Premier was secured to a buoy in an exposed position under the full force of wind and sea.
Greig was being taken to his ship in a diesel launch from H.M.S. Rooke and on arriving alongside the Wave Premier, which was seaward in an exposed position in the full force of the wind, he lost his balance whilst going from the starboard side of the Rooke’s boat to the port side where the companion ladder was. He fell overboard. A line was thrown from the Rooke’s boat but he failed to grasp it and Stoker Mechanic Marson, who had come on deck from the engine room of the Rooke’s boat, immediately jumped over the side fully clothed, a distance from the water of over 3 feet, in order to go to the rescue of Greig. He was 250 yards from shore in depth of 35 feet, and swam 12 yards in conditions of considerable danger. He did not put on a lifejacket or other life-saving equipment as a conditions of the sea made it imperative to act quickly if his efforts were to be of any avail. He worked heroically to get Greig to the gangway of his ship where two men of the Wave Premier were at the time. Marson succeeded in doing so at great risk of being crushed between the side of the Wave Premier and his own boat. Greig was in the sea for 4 minutes. He was taken on board and artificial respiration applied by his shipmates and a Medical officer called, but he died 15 minutes after being rescued.’

Edwin Marson was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on 8 June 1932 and by 1953 he was a Stoker Mechanic in the Royal Navy, based at the shore established in Gibraltar, H.M.S. Rooke. A coroner’s jury in Gibraltar commended Marson for his diving and rescue efforts on Grieg, whom later died. A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded. Soon after Marson was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal.

H.M.S. Jaguar was a Leopard Class Frigate that was commissioned 12 December 1959, and Marson most likely qualified for his long service medal in the 1960s. He died in Leicester in 1988.

Sold with photocopied research, the citation being very feint.