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Auction: 15003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 240

Royal National Lifeboat Institution Medal, silver, type 2 1862-1902, obverse: head of Queen Victoria with chaple of oak leaves facing left (Mr. David Sinclair Voted 10th. Jany. 1895.), with uniface dolphin suspension, extremely fine, in embossed case of issue

R.N.L.I. Medal voted 10.1.1895: 'On the 29th December 1894 the self-righting lifeboat Busbie was called out to the Tönsberg ship Frey in distress near the Lady Isle, off Troon Harbour, Ayrshire. It had been impossible to get the Troon lifeboat out of the harbour because of the terrific hurricane blowing from the north-west. Under sail, the Irvine lifeboat covered five miles in half an hour. At the wreck, 16 crewmen jumped into the water one by one and were dragged into the lifeboat by ropes. Coxswain Sinclair decided to land at the south beach, Troon, but nearing the beach the lifeboat was overwhelmed by 12-15 feet waves and thrown on her beam ends. The coxswain and three or four others were thrown out. When the boat was righted all regained her except one of the rescued Norwegians who had been washed away; the shore was then finally reached safely. Coxswain Sinclair was 70 years old [actually 71] at the time of this service.'

Mr. David Sinclair was born at Irvine in October 1823. At the time of this gallant action he had been a member of the Irvine lifeboat crew for 55 years, and on the day in question eleven of the 13 man crew were members of his family. Six foot high, weighing 16 stone, and injured from the gunwhale in the action when he was thrown out of the lifeboat, he was presented with his R.N.L.I. silver medal at Irvine Town Hall on the 25th April 1895. For his gallant conduct he was awarded the Norwegian Medal for Heroic Deeds in gold, whilst the rest of the lifeboat crew were awarded the Norwegian Medal for Heroic Deeds in silver. He died in Irvine in July 1913, and is buried in Irvine Old Parish Church burial ground.

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