Wrecks - GOWER SHIPWRECKS
Gallantry Awards - Glamorgan
Last Updated (Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:48) Thursday, 01 January 2009 16:42
Awards for Gallantry in Saving Life - Glamorgan
As I have remarked elsewhere on this site the RNLI have, presumably for convenience, grouped all their awards under the nearest lifeboat station even when the award was made to a member of the public rather than to a member of a lifeboat crew. I too shall follow the Institution's practice.
I shall list all the awards that I know of, be they made by the RNLI, a foreign government or other body, beginning with the coast of Glamorgan (I do not know of any awards made for rescues on the coast of Monmouthshire) and working clockwise round the coast.
This information is from An Illustrated Guide to our Lifeboat Stations part 5 (Isles of Scilly to Aberdovey) by Jeff Morris; Lifeboat Gallantry by Barry Cox; and Wreck and Rescue in the Bristol Channel - Volume 2 The story of the Welsh Lifeboats by Grahame Farr. I have also included material from contemporary sources - such as newspapers and Admiralty Wreck Returns. In addition I have included information on other wrecks which occured at the same time, usually during the same gale, but which did not lead to awards.
The RNLI medal. This particular medal, in silver, was awarded to James Collopy of Porthcawl Coastguard for his part in the rescue of the crew of six of the Plymouth schooner Ajax, wrecked on Kenfig sands on 13 October 1858.
Penarth
8 December 1872 Silver medal to Richard Johns
A storm of force 11 from west-south-west blew on this day in the upper part of the Bristol Channel. The 159 ton schooner Wallace, of Peterhead, bound from Newport to Gibraltar, was wrecked at Penarth with the loss of all seven of her crew. On the same day the cutter Mystery, of Weston-super-Mare, which serviced the forts on Flat Holm and Steep Holm, stranded at the entrance to Cardiff docks. Her crew and passengers, a lieutenant and eleven gunners of the Royal Artillery, were in grave danger. Richard Johns, mate of the John Pearce, of Fowey, put off in his vessel's boat and saved thirteen men. At a meeting of the awards committee of the RNLI held on 6 February 1873 Johns was awarded the Silver Medal of the Institution.
16 June 1907 Gold medal to Daniel Rees, Silver medal to Ivor Rees
The yacht Firefly capsized off Lavernock Point near Penarth throwing her three occupants into the sea. A near gale was blowing and the tide on the ebb. Daniel Rees, a solicitor, went off in a dinghy and picked up two of the men who had now drifted down towards Sully. His boat had shipped water and was in danger of swamping so he stood by the third man. Daniel's brother, Ivor, had put off in a yacht and took all three men aboard before transferring them to a tug. The men were presented with the awards at a ceremony at the City Hall, Cardiff on 14 October.
Barry
19 January 1863 Silver medal to William Henry John
The Russian barque Heinrich Sorensen, Bordeaux to Cardiff in ballast, was driven onto the rocks of Breaksea Point near Aberthaw by a heavy gale on 18 January 1863. Men on the shore called to the crew to come ashore, but they wished to attempt to save the vessel on the next tide so remained aboard overnight. The next morning it was clear that the vessel would break-up. William H. John of Limpert Farm and his labourers used ropes to haul the crew through the breakers as the ship's boats had been lost during the night. The master and crew were then taken to Cardiff in a wagon drawn by four horses. The RNLI considered the case at a meeting on 5 February and awarded John its silver medal.
In the early hours of the 19th a distress signal was seen near the Tusker off Porthcawl. The lifeboat Good Deliverance was launched but was unable to save anyone from the vessel which presumably struck the reef. A few days later the body of a man aged about 22 was washed ashore near Dunraven Castle. As there was blood from wounds under one ear and on the forehead it was presumed that it had not long been in the sea. The man was dressed in a pilot cloth coat, a brown vest bound with braid and a blue guernsey. His sea boots carried the initials J.W. in copper sprigs. Three more bodies were picked up to the east of Ogmore along with a lifebuoy from the Mary Jenkins, of Caernarfon. At Saint Donat's churchyard is the grave of John Jenkins son of the vessel's master David. The stone says the vessel was lost on the Nash sands.
22 February 1914 Silver medal to Daniel P. Davies, Thanks on Vellum to William Hooper
A S.W. gale tore the sails of the Barnstaple ketch Elizabeth Couch to ribbons on 22 February driving her towards the Nash Sands. Her crew of two burnt flares which were seen by William Hooper, assistant pilot, and Daniel Davies, apprentice, of the Cardiff pilot cutter Dawn. With a very heavy sea running it would be foolish to go alongside so the Dawn stood by hoping the weather would moderate. After a few hours the ketch could be seen to be sinking so Davies lowered the cutter's punt and rowed to her. Meanwhile Hooper attempted to keep the Dawn on station to give the punt some shelter. The two men were taken off the ketch and rowed to the cutter shortly before the Elizabeth Couch foundered. Davies was awarded the silver medal of the RNLI and Hooper its formal thanks inscribed on vellum.
17 September 1935 Silver medal to Archibald Jones acting Coxswain Barry Dock lifeboat. Bronze medals to Henry Hobbs 2nd coxswain, Hewitt Swarts motor mechanic, and Stanley Alexander, Thomas Alexander, William Cook, Henry Housden, and Frederick Searle lifeboatmen.
The schooner Goeland, of Paimpol, was bound from Brest to Swansea with a cargo of onions. She was caught in a strong WNW gale and unable to enter Swansea Bay. She was driven eastwards and her master hoped to make Cardiff. With her sails blown away and the cargo shifting attempts were made to beach her at Porthkerry. Her plight was seen from the shore and the Barry dock lifeboat Prince David launched at 10.23 a.m. Her regular coxswain was away and the station honorary secretary Archibald Jones, a retired sea pilot, took the helm. The lifeboat got alongside the disabled vessel and saved her crew of six shortly before she was driven onto the rocks of Friar's Point.
The schooner Goeland ashore at Friar's Point, Barry.
6 December 1940 Bronze medal to David Lewis Coxswain Barry Dock lifeboat.