An Interesting ‘Double-Rescue’ Sea Gallantry Medal awarded to Edward Stock, of the Ramsgate Lifeboat Crew, for helping to save 110 lives from the ships Fusilier and Demerara in rough seas on the night of 3-4 December, 1863, both ships having become stranded during a great gale of ‘hurricane winds’, comprising: Board of Trade Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea, V.R., large medal, in bronze, 57.5mm width (Edwrd. Stock, Wrecks of the “Fusilier” and “Demerara”, 3rd and 4th Decr. 1863.), in contemporary case of issue, one or two tiny marks, almost extremely fine On the night of the 3-4th December, 1863, Edward Stock and the crew of the Ramsgate Lifeboat vessel Northumberland were towed out to sea by the tug Aid after a telegram had been received regarding signal guns being fired off the coast during a great gale and heavy seas. Locating the ship on the ‘Girdler Bank’ only by the light from the tar barrels being burned on the deck, the men of the Northumberland fought the ‘terrific sea’ and landed beside the Fusilier, of London, bound for Melbourne with emigrants. Arriving at about 2.00am in the dark of the night and in huge sweeping seas, they endeavoured to save first the women and children, putting them into the lifeboat, and then to the tug for returning to Ramsgate. One of the crewmembers described the scene as follows:‘The scene at this time was an appalling one; the howling of the wind, mingled with the shrieks of the women and the rush of the waves against the sides of the ill-fated ship, used as we are to such sights, made us doubly anxious for the safety of those whom, by God’s providence, we had come to rescue.’ (Middlesex Chronicle, 12 December 1863)Making four separate trips from the ship to the tug, in deeper water almost a mile away, the men were able to save the lives of 101 people before the steamer became wrecked. On its final return leg, however, the tug Aid reported that another ship had run aground on the ‘Shingles Bank’ and was in dire need. The crew of the lifeboat Northumberland immediately set out towards this new vessel, which proved to be the Demerara, of Greenock. The crew of this vessel, some 18 men plus the pilot, had survived only by clinging to the rigging of the ship for 11 hours before the lifeboat arrived to their rescue. Having secured the men aboard their lifeboat, they returned with the tug back to Ramsgate, some 16 hours after they had left its harbour at the outset, and having saved 120 lives in the process. (‘The Sea Gallantry Medal, by Scarlett, refers). Contemporary newspapers confirm that subscriptions for the total of approximately £40 were raised for the boatmen of the life-boat and steam tug. A total of 22 Sea Gallantry Medals were awarded, in bronze, to the men of the Northumberland and Aid for this incident, and interestingly, another man of a similar name, John Stock, was also awarded a medal, possibly the brother or relation of the above recipient Edward Stock.

Estimate: GBP 300 - 400