BRITISH COURAGE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 212, 4 June 1929, Page 12

BRITISH COURAGE

RECOGNISED BY LLOYDS MEDALS FOR SHIP’S OFFICERS In the committee room of Lloyd’s in London recently, Mr. A. R. Mountain, the chairman, presented Lloyd’s Silver Medals for Meritorious Service to Captain Albert Himsley,' master; Mr. William Muckle, second engineer; and Mr. James Murdoch, fourth engineer, of the appropriately-named British motor-vessel British Courage. The chief officer, Mr. Arthur Halcrow, who was also awarded the medal, was unable to be present, as he is now in command of an Admiralty tanker. _■ The chairman of Lloyd’s recalled that the British Courage, a steel screw motortank ship of 6052 tons gross, with a crew of 38, when 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 SOS signal, with his position. Shortly afterwards the chief engineer, who unfortunately had since died of his injuries, staggered out of the engine-room with his clothing ablaze, and by this time the whole of the top of the engine-room was a mass of flames, which were as high as the funnel. Fearing an explosion, the officers and crew took to the boats, but after proceeding about half a mile hove-to in a very rough sea for about two hours. The British Courage was during this time still burning as fiercely as ever. As no explosion had occurred in the engine room, and as the flames could be seen creeping along the boat deck. Captain Himsley decided to return to the ship in an endeavour to put the fire out on the boat deck. He called for volunteers, and with 16 members of the crew, returned to the tanker when, by obtaining buckets of water from the sea and swamping the deck they succeeded in putting out the fire on the boat deck. Their attention was then given to the engine room, where, with the aid of water and sand, the fire was eventually overcome about 5.30 p.m. The fire was not entirely extinguished, however, and the crew stood by all night, as the boat deck was bursting into flames now and again, and the outbreaks had to be dealt with as they occurred. It was not until some 27 hours after the original outbreak that the fire was completely and finally extinguished.