ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY SWIMMING MEDALS

One of the joys of collecting is the chance of the unexpected. St. James's Auction on 15th April ends with a small collection 34 medals issued by the Royal Humane Society for Proficiency in Swimming. The medal was first issued in 1882, when a mere seven were awarded, one each to a participating school. The award was to prepare the swimmer in the disciplines of life-saving and the prevention of drowning. In the 5th year of the competition in 1887, 26 of the handsome silver medals were awarded, one being to the 15-year-old Charles Creaghe Donovan, who attended the Royal Naval School, New Cross.

Donovan's subsequent career was in the military rather than navy and, with the rank of Captain in the Royal Artillery, he was stationed at Ferozepore in India when, on 30th August 1906 a fire broke out in the arsenal. The fire threatened to be a major disaster but was extinguished with Captain Donovan and Lieutenant E. F. Ross, Dorset Regiment, leading the firefighters and preventing over 300,000lbs. of gunpowder from exploding. Both Donovan and Ross were awarded the Albert Medal in gold (First Class) and a further 11 (2nd Class) were awarded in bronze. The Albert Medal in gold was abolished in 1949 and replaced by the George Cross which had been instituted in 1941.

Donovan retired from the army with the rank of Lt. Colonel shortly after the end of the First Word War and died in 1923. The whereabouts of his Albert Medal is unknown, His Royal Humane Society medal, some 2 ounces in weight, depicts a swimmer going to the aid of a damsel in distress, is estimated at £200-400. Emma Hulme, senior numismatist at St. James's, commented, it would be wonderful if Donovan's Albert medal were to come to light as a result of this sale – he was certainly a very brave man.

 

Lot 473: Royal Naval School, New Cross: Royal Humane Society, Medal for Proficiency in Swimming, awarded to Charles Creagh[e] Donovan, 1887, in river setting, with trees and rushes, a man rescues a woman from drowning, NARE EST ALIENAM NOSSE SALUTEM, ex, school name and date, recipient's name engraved on edge, rev. legends, ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY - INST: 1774, in centre, 'Awarded FOR PROFICIENCY IN SWIMMING EXERCISE with reference to saving life from DROWNING', 51mm., 59.81gms, 60.40gms., good very fine, lightly buffed at some time.

 

Lot 474: Royal Naval School, New Cross: Royal Humane Society, Medal for Proficiency in Swimming, awarded to Harry Ernest Chapman, 1888, in river setting, with trees and rushes, a man rescues a woman from drowning, NARE EST ALIENAM NOSSE SALUTEM, ex, school name and date, recipient's name engraved on edge, rev. legends, ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY - INST: 1774, in centre, 'Awarded FOR PROFICIENCY IN SWIMMING EXERCISE with reference to saving life from DROWNING', 51mm., 59.81gms, good very fine, lightly buffed at some time. Ex. ‘A Fine Collection of Life Saving Awards', Noonans (DNW), 13 December, 2012 (lot 433).

To read the complete lot descriptions, see:
ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY COLLECTION (https://bsjauctions.auctionmobility.com/lots/view/1-ACMLCI/royal-humane-society-collection)
ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY COLLECTION (https://bsjauctions.auctionmobility.com/lots/view/1-ACMLCK/royal-humane-society-collection)

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