SON OF ALEX HYNDMAN, AND THE LATE FLORA HYNDMAN. BORN AT GOUROCK.
HUSBAND OF HELENA ETHEL HYNDMAN (NEE LAWTON), 27 ELIZABETH Street, IBROX, GLASGOW.
8 November 1916 - (1) Mr James HURRY, Master (2) Lieutenant Maurice MACMAHON RNR, (3) Captain George BEVAN RN, (4) Lieutenant Edward RICHARDSON RNR, 2nd Engineer Christopher WATSON, Able Seaman James HENRY, Able Seaman Malcolm THOMPSON, fire and explosions, port of Archangel
(1) The London Gazette 7 September, 1917 (from the Board of Trade, Whitehall Gardens)
The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Decoration of the Albert Medal upon Mr. James Campbell Hurry, master of the steamship Earl of Forfar, of Glasgow.
The following is an account of the services in respect of which the Decoration has been conferred: —
On the 8th November, 1916, while the steamship Earl of Forfar, of Glasgow, was lying at Archangel, a fire broke out on a Russian steamship and spread to the Earl of Forfar, which was lying immediately ahead, Captain Hurry, who was on shore, attempted to return to his vessel, but he was unable to do so. He proceeded, however, to render assistance to other vessels which were in danger of being burnt.
While doing so, he heard voices coming from his own ship, which was burning and exploding furiously. Calling for volunteers, he led them on board his steamer, and seven injured men were rescued, some of whom he personally carried to a tug.
While thus engaged considerable risk was incurred by Captain Hurry, who had to lift several live shells from the deck of the vessel in order to get at the wounded.
Within ten minutes of the last man being rescued the deck blew up.
(2) The London Gazette 5 February, 1918 (from the Admiralty)
The KING has been pleased to approve of the award of the Albert Medal to Lieutenant (acting Lieutenant-Commander) Maurice MacMahon, R.N.R., for gallantry in saving life at sea.
The following is the account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred: —
On the 8th November, 1916, a series of fires and explosions occurred at Bakaritsa, Port of Archangel. After the merchant ships had been got away from the wharves, cries and moans were heard from the direction of a 100-ton floating crane moored between the S.S. Earl of Forfar and the quay. The Earl of Forfar was on fire fore and aft, and it was obvious that any attempt to save life must be accompanied by the greatest risk, the ship having explosives on board and the quay abreast it burning furiously with intermittent explosions from small arm ammunition.
Lieutenant-Commander MacMahon, without a moment's hesitation, volunteered to carry out rescue work, although other rescue parties considered that they had already done all that was humanly possible. In order to reach the floating crane it was necessary to cross the Earl of Forfar, the after part of which had blown up, whilst the forepart was on fire and the forecastle was a mass of smouldering debris. Hearing moans from under the debris of the forecastle, Lieutenant-Commander MacMahon, with the aid of the crew of a tug, cleared away the wreckage and discovered the mate, with one arm, one leg, and collar-bone fractured. This man was extricated and passed into the tug. Lieutenant-Commander MacMahon then proceeded on to the floating crane by means of a singe plank and rescued from beneath the debris of the crane the carpenter of the Earl of Forfar and two Russian subjects, part of the crane's crew.
(3) The London Gazette 9 July, 1918 (from the Admiralty, 8th July, 1918)
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Albert Medal to Captain George Parker Bevan, C.M.G., D.S.O., R.N., for gallantry in saving life at sea.
The following is the account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred: —
On the 8th November, 1916, a series of explosions and fires occurred at Bakaritsa, Port of Archangel, on merchant ships and on the wharves. The S.S. Baron Driesen had blown up at 1 p.m. and part of theS.S. Earl of Forfar forty minutes later, and fresh explosions were expected every instant. It was thought that all their crews had either escaped or been killed or rescued, but after dark cries of distress were heard from the Earl of Forfar. The ship was a mass of flame at the time, and burning embers from the fire which was raging on shore were continually showered over her. She had a cargo of explosives on board and was abreast of the main conflagration. The flames were blown towards her by the wind, and the remaining portion of the ship was expected to be blown up at any moment. Captain Bevan, however, on hearing the cries proceeded on board, accompanied by Lieutenant-Commander MacMahon, and, hearing moans from under the smouldering debris of the forecastle, cleared away the wreckage and extricated the mate, who had an arm and a leg and his collarbone broken, and passed him into a tug.
Captain Bevan displayed the utmost gallantry and disregard of his personal safety.
(4) The London Gazette 9 July, 1918 (from the Admiralty, 8th July, 1918)
The KING has further been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Albert Medal to
Lieutenant Edward Henry Richardson, R.N.R.,
2nd Engineer Christopher Watson,
A.B. James Dixon Henry, and
A.B. Malcolm Thompson, for gallantry in saving life at sea.
The following is the account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred: —
On the 8th November, 1916, a series of fires and explosions occurred at Bakaritsa, Port of Archangel, on merchant ships and on the wharves. The S.S. Baron Driesen had blown up at 1 p.m. and part of the S.S. Earl of Forfar forty minutes later. The latter ship, with a cargo of explosives, was on fire, and might have blown up at any moment, and explosions were continually taking place in the immediate vicinity. The ship was alongside the main fire on shore, and burning embers were constantly showered over her. Lieutenant Richardson, 2nd Engineer Watson and Able Seamen Henry and Thompson, of the Tug Sunderland, nevertheless volunteered to board the Earl of Forfar and effected the rescue of a considerable number of wounded and helpless men who would otherwise have perished.
They displayed the utmost gallantry and disregard of their own personal safety in saving the lives of others.
