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BRITISH COURAGE

iFTRE-FIGHTING IN OIL TANKER

LLOYD’S MEDALS AWARDED

The presence in port at Miramar of the olil tanker British Star, commanded by Captain J. A. Halcrow, recalls a stirring happening in wliioh this 'shipmaster was one of tlie principal figures. :•

- The story was told last year at Lloyd’s: :in London, .when Lloyd’s siler medal for . meritorious services was presented by, the chairman to Captain Albert Himsley, master; Mr William Muckle, second engineer; and * Mr Murdoch, fourth engineer; of the British, motor-vessel British Courage. The chief officer, Mr Arthur Halscrow (the present master of the British Star), who was also awarded the medal, was unable to be present, as be was at-sea, in command of an Admiralty tanker. 1

FIRE IN TANKER'S ENGINE-

ROOMS. In the course of his address, the chairman of Lloyd’s said that they 'welcomed the: master and * officers in order that they ; might try to tell them of their atlfniration for - yet another : story of- hetoism’which they hadi added- to - the glorious 1 annals of - cour- ; age'" 'and- detOrniiffatiOff •at sea. The leadership of’ Captaiii ,: Himsley and . tlie ’voluntary aid of-'all those' Serving ■ Unidbr him*’ proved how safe ive-re " the tradition's On the bed' iii the hands •of such gallant, men typical Of the :Mercantile Marine/ He I 'recalled that the British Cou'fage, a steel screw i motor tank ship of '6952 tons gross, with a crew of 38, ivlien on a voyage from Abadan to Grangemouth with a cargo of about 9000 tons of crude oil, left Port Said on December 3. About two days later fire broke out and it . was apparent to Captain Himsley that the outbreak was very serious. He sent out an 5.0.5., with bis position. Shortly afterwards the chief 'engineer who unfortunately had since died of his injuries, staggered out of the en- , gine-room with his clothing ablaze, !: and by this time the, whole top of the -engine-robin *’ was ' ii 1 hiabs of flames which were as high as the funnel.

i As"'tlie' :: : i watb‘l’ v ’ supply then' failed and a&j* owing to'the gi’Catlieat and sniolte,' if was" iriipbssibfe for anyone tb remain on the''*'poop' deck, and there Hvas the? piossifbStity that' at Any iniriilite the fuel tanks'in the engine room 1 might explode and in turn explode the erfr go of 'crude oil. Captain Himsley gave the order to take to the boats, but before he himself left (lie went’into every part of the accommodation in order to ensure that tlie crew had got away.

•SAW.NG THE. SHIP

The' two boats were "in charge of the master'mnd' chief- officer respect- . ively, and after proceeding about HiatTa “ii^efiiiove"‘tor‘ih *ii very rovigli j sea for about two hours. The British^ !btirning'' J^ly;:: •plosTorr had~:dccirrredr~iTi" the~enigiiie-' ' room and as the flames could bo.seen creeping along the boat-deck, Captain Hjp.fsley decided to return to ;tW sfnpf an an endeavour to put- the | fire out, on the boat-deck. called j for volunteers, and with 1(3. iiienijbefs. , | of the crew returned tof I Courage, when by obtaihlrigvbubkets ! of water from the sea and swamping ! the deck they succeeded in putting : out the fire oil the boat-deck. Their attention was then given to the en-gine-room, where, with the aid of water and sand, the fire was eventual! iy overcome about 5 30p.m. 'The. fire was not entirely extinguished,. however, as there was '■still; some smouldering in the engine-room, store-; room, and in the ’tween depks,'/,,J)Ut. the, former was eventually,pu|u txutr- _ and the latter were battened The crew stood by all night] boat-deck was bursting into-flames 1 nqw< aild;; iigain, and the diitbrefikk ; had to be dealt with as they* oeourr- ' ed., - It was-not until 3 p.m,;- oil TJec-;' ember 6, some 27 hours lifted' -tlt'et v original outbreak, that the fire was.. completely and finally extinguished;,He wa's proud to point to thb.. coil'd Uetvbf all on lioard the British Cour-tage.-J. It-, wbs felt that certain cases stood out as particularly meritorious, j and it was in these cases that the Committee of Lloyd’s had. decided to award Lloyd’s Silver Medal for Meritorious Services, namely:—

Captain Albert Himsley, whose action as master before abandoning the ship and ; particularly in deciding to go back to tlie vessel was beyond all praise. The danger of explosion was so great that no blame could have been attributed to him had lie refrained from returning fj to the shin. Thebe is ‘little doubt that his decision to return was a decisive factor in saving the ship; and a striking example of courage and devotion to duty. Mr James Arthur Halcrow, chief officer.—The., chief officer is responsible under the ' vessel’s lire regulations, for the active measures for fighting fire. Captain Himsley reported in the warmest";terms on Mr Halcrow’s courage and activity before the ship was abandoned , and; with what alacrity Mr Halcrow responded to his invitation, not order, to return to the ship. Mr Heslpp M.iu’chy second engineer.-—Mr Mnckle oh. liis own initiative requested" permission to transfer to the captain’s hoat and leturn to the ship. When they arrived on board the second engineer, again on, his own initiative, succeeded in finding his way down to the boilcr-

room and to the steam "stop valve, so that steam was available for pumping water into the engine-room. There is little doubt that without this action on his part it would have* been,,..impossible to put out the fife. . g ~v Mr James Murdoch, fourth., epgiiixeer.—Before the ship was abandoned Mr Murdoch, of his own accord,, . ran down the ladders and made his,,, way through the auxiliaries and switffiiecl on the jacket cooling pump,.by, whj.ch means sufficient water was obtajacd to utilise the hose. . . , a . There was one fact, the • chairman added, that lie won; d like phasis—namely, that when thpsf> .pliant men returned to the iug their lives in their hands,' they did not do so to save life,, but,.to save the ship herself. Captain Halcrow, who is a native of the Shetland Islands, has been for .some time in command dfHhd British Star, which is running under charter to the Union Steaiffi Slffp Company carrying fuel oil' Pedro to WeClington. "The “British' Star is one of a fleet of 85,.sinijla,i', : ships owned by British Tankers, Ltd. Captain Halcrow yesterday met hjs‘ brother, Mr. J, Halcrow, who "some •time ago gave up sefaring apd 'up farming in Taranaki.... LATA':..

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19300719.2.59

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1930, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,055

BRITISH COURAGE Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1930, Page 6

BRITISH COURAGE Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1930, Page 6

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