Australian Historical Medals

Lot 451    SESSION 3 (2.30PM TUESDAY 22ND NOV)    Australian Historical Medals

Estimate $1,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $5,000

ROYAL SHIPWRECK RELIEF HUMANE SOCIETY OF N.S.W., award medal in silver (37mm), reverse inscribed, 'E.J.Fleming/For Saving Life at/Port Darwin/30. Sep. 1939.'. Toned extremely fine.

RSRHS: Case number 1940/09 - case notes state - Eric John Edward Fleming, 3rd Officer, S.S. Mangola, c/- Burns Philp & Co. Ltd., Bridge Street, Sydney. At about 8p.m. on the 30th September, 1939, at Port Darwin, the chief wireless operator of the R.A.F.A. steamer "Kurumba", a man named Oswald, fell overboard from the Mangola which was lying at the wharf. Fleming dived overboard and swam to Oswald, who had been carried some 400 yards from the ship due to the strong current prevailing at the time. They were picked up by a shore launch. These waters are badly infested with sharks and alligators (sic actually saltwater crocodiles).

In the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Friday 13 October 1939, Darwin Notes, page 12 there was a brief report of the incident as follows, 'A member of the crew of one of the boats in port had a narrow escape from drowning when he fell overboard on Monday night. Another of the crew jumped in to save him, but the seven-knot tide swept them well out into the harbour before the Qantas Empire Co.'s launch was able to meet and to rescue them.'

With research.