HEROES GO TO LLOYD’S

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1929, Page 3

HEROES GO TO LLOYD’S

KINGING OF LUTINE BELLS DEEDS OF BRAVE MEN. PRESENTATION OF MEDALS.

There was a stirring moment at Lloyd’s a : few weeks ago, a moment when -insurance brokers, underwriters shipowners, and merchants forgot all about business and listened to the ringing of the Lutine bell for the.men of the tank' ship British Courage. ' This, famous .bell, saved from the wreck of the Lutine, is only rung for .important, announcemenl s. 011 the occasion fin 'question the crier rang it twice, and , then announced that CapM tain Himsley, William. Mjuckle, and *- .James Murdoch ' lift'd been presented in the. committee ; room with Lloyd’s silver, (medal and that, Captain HimsJey was, going to walk .illrough the underwriting room. Then everyone was jostling to see that gallant mail. 1 Lloyd’s silver medal is one of. those few decorations not in the gift of the Crown which are so important that the recipients are allowed to wear them on the right breast .111 uniform. The following ,is how these three men,' and Arthur Halcrow, now on an Admin tanker won their medals. On December 3 last the steel screw motor’ 'V.tpkr ship;-.British' Courage. Jeff. Port Said with a cargo of about 9000 tons of crude oil. Two days lifter a

. i fire hi'oko out,' jnnll Hihisley sent out S.O.S. calls'. Soini the' whole top of the engine room was a mass of flames as high as the fuiinel." ‘ The chief engineer ran: out, JiisU clothing ablaze, and died of liis injuries. There was a possibility that the fuel •tangs might • explode; at any , minute and. in turn explode the cargo of crude ......pH-, .JUOPMW. Himslpy, ordered his .crew of'3B mto the boats, and before leaving went into every part of the perilous ship to make sure that no one was lost. There were two boats, one in charge of Captain. Himsley - and the other in cha"•■'(> of the chief officer, and they made out,in a rough sea for about half a mile, then hove-to for two hours, watching the burning ship. There was no explosion from the en- , ; gin 2 room yet, and flames, could .he seen creeping .along the boat deck. : ;jj Captain Himsley told his men that jib; there wasij ! much danger that he j i j could norti order no • one • back ! to the’ : • burning jship,! but lie believed • there '", was a cliancel of saving her., ,At once. ; j? 16 men volunteered to erturn, though ..;. they had saved their lives, , and had I'Oonly to, wait to he picked pip' by j |thej •.j; -ships whoflliJicPheard the S.O.S. call, 'jp[To. go back was a great peril, but lovA/' alty to their ship called them, and h ; ’thpy went. .

" By swamping the decks with buckets of sea water they succeeded 1 in putting r opt the fire on the boat deck. Mr Muckle, tlie second enginer, found his . way. .through the--smoke to -the -boiler room and the steam valve, so that there was steam available for pump- ■ ing water into the engine room. The chief engineer bad died' of the burns be had received when the fire broke out in the engine room; now brave men bad to fight their Avay into that deathtrap with sand and water ' 1 'lt :? took-‘them 27 'hours' to win - their 'battle-' with "theA flames'. Constantly -tlie fi'i-e broke out afresh','and all night: they stood by, expecting an explosion. \ Men will perform prodigies in self- / defence or in hot blood, but these men did. all this soberly, in cold blood, to saye their , ship. They were worthy of , tji.cir, ship’s proud name.