GORLESTON VOLUNTEER LIFEBOAT LIFESAVING MEDAL-CHRISTEAN OCTOBER 14TH 1903

Gorleston Volunteer Lifeboat Medal
Obverse: a depiction of a Norfolk and Suffolk type Lifeboat in full sail in a choppy sea,GORLESTON VOLUNTEER LIFEBOAT in a scroll at the bottom.Un-named as issued
Reverse: CHRISTEAN OCT.14TH 1903 within a wreath.
Medal 38 mm with top "Lifebelt" suspension bar and on pin for wearing,with a replacement ribbon.
The Elizabeth Simpson Lifeboat was called to the aid of the 200 ton Swedish Schooner "Christean" on 14th October 1903.On that Wednesday evening guns were heard from the Cross sands and St Nicholas Light Ships, and Coxswain G.Crisp mustered his crew at the boathouse.A message had already been received at Gorleston to tell the R.N.L.I boat not to put out, as The "John Burch" (The Gt.Yarmouth Lifeboat ) was just leaving Yarmouth beach.Nevertheless,it was decided to launch the volunteer Lifeboat The Elizabeth Simpson, and at 6.30 p.m.the 21 man crew launched the Lifeboat on a half-ebb tide with the wind in the south.
The S.S.Burmah of Hull towed out the Elizabteh Simpson to the wreck, which proved to be the three-masted Schooner Christean, a Swedish craft From Fowey to Leith with a cargo of china clay.
She lay on Cross Ridge sand in about three to four feet of water,and great difficulty was experienced by the lifeboat in reaching her,grounding three times and taking about three hours to wear down to the doomed ship.Three of the crew of the Christean were drowned before the arrival of the Lifeboat,having taken to the small boat which was swamped.
The Elizabeth Simpson sustained much damage in effecting the rescue, but she was able to safely return to harbour bringing in the three survivors of the crew of six.This was indeed a splendid piece of work, and but for the launching of the Elizabeth Simpson the consequences would have been dire as the Yarmouth boat was unable to reach the ship against the the head wind and tide.
Comes with a copy of my article "The Gorleston Volunteer Lifeboat Elizabeth Simpson" by Gary Brown,which was published in "The Lifesaving Awards Research Society's Journal" no 36, which also gives a brief history of the boat.
Scarce item

Code: 52136