Captain Thomas Green’s silver Medals for Heroic Conduct at Sea

One medal from Captain Logan of the Mars is inscribed ‘Presented by Captn. John Logan, of the Ship Mars that was Wrecked in a gale on the Gunfleet Sands, Jany. 12th 1837. To Captn. Thos. Wm. Green, for his heroic conduct in being the first Man to Jump overboard and haul the boat over the sand thus saving Captn. Logan and ten of his crew’. The reverse has a fine repoussé scene of a three masted barque rolling in heavy seas, all within a fine twisted rope border. It is suspended from a white ribbon with blue edges and two silver bars inscribed ‘May God protect You’ – ‘In every Storm’. Assay marks for George Adams (Chawner & Co), London, 1838.

The other is from Captain John Davis of the Don Ve Gan Castle stating ‘Presented by Captn. John Davis formerly Chief Mate of the Don Ve Gan Castle, of Exeter. April 26th, 1838. To Captain Thomas Wm. Green for his Heroic Conduct & Daring Spirit in a Gale of Wind in an Open Boat with 4 of his Crew rescuing Capt. Davis 6 Officers and 24 of his Men from a Watery Grave after which Capt. Green and his boats crew were cast away two nights and one day in the German Ocean with nothing to subsist on’. The reverse has a fine repoussé representation of a 3 masted barque in choppy seas foundering against a cliff wall, all within a thick twisted rope border. It is suspended from a frayed blue and white ribbon and pin with three silver bars saying ‘Captain Davis’s’ – ‘Gratitude’ – ‘To Captn. Green’. Assay marks for London, 1858.

These medals are interesting because they were both privately struck by grateful survivors as Green was not a lifeboatman per se. That from Captain Davis is particularly intriguing as it was presented 20 years after the rescue, possibly because, as Chief Mate at the time, Davis may not have accrued the funds for such a handsome piece until he had attained the rank of Captain.