ONE GOLD MEDAL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1935, Page 10 (Supplement)

ONE GOLD MEDAL

EVANS OF THE BROKE WON IT. CARRYING A LINE TO A WRECK. The Committee of Lloyd's has awarded Lloyd’s bronze and silver medals for saving life at sea to the heroic rescue parties from the Belgian steamer Jean Jadot, the Cunard-White Star liner Ascania, and the HamburgAmerica liner New York who lately went to the aid of shipwrecked sailors. When we read of the frightful gales they fought, of the rescuers who lost their lives in the attempt, and of the danger of being smashed against the sides of the wreck, we ask ourselves whether silver and bronze medals were enough? Has Lloyd’s gold medal ever been awarded? It has: but., only once. In 1921 the Chinese steamer Hong Moh ( with over a thousand coolies on board, went ashore-in a frightful storm'

off Hong Kong. Her back was broken and she was battered by enormous breakers. H.M.S. Carlisle came hurrying to the rescue, and sent out her motor-launch with Captain Evans in command.

The launch could not get close to the wreck, or it would have been smashed against it, so Captain Evans swam to the wreck with a line. Then he swam back to the launch, carrying an unconscious coolie.

Now came fresh trouble. Something had fouled the launch’s propeller. Overboard went Captain Evans again, and found that it was wire from the wreckage. He worked hard to remove it, and in the end had to be hauled on board exhausted.

So Captain Evans, formerly “Teddy Evans of the Broke” and later Admiral Evans, won his gold medal. But the silver and bronze medals are precious things too, never given lightly, and always the badges of heroes who have been tested in desperate trials. A correspondent of the. Daily Telegraph expresses the belief that a man who has won Lloyd’s Medal for saving life at sea will never lack a ship.