Beschreibung:

A fine Second War ‘George Cross Action’ B.E.M. and Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery pair awarded to Boatswain E. A. Gardner, Merchant Navy, for his gallant conduct in concert with Chief Officer G. P. Stronach and Second Engineer Officer H. Hotham aboard the flaming S.S. Ocean Voyager, at Tripoli harbour, 19 March 1943 British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (Ewart Alfred Gardner); Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea, silver (Boatswain E. A. Gardner, S.S. “Ocean Voyager”, 19th March 1943) last in case of issue, nearly extremely fine (2) £3000-4000 Footnote Provenance: Ref. Spink Exhibition 1985, No. 81; W. H. Fevyer Collection, DNW, September 2008. B.E.M. London Gazette 23 November 1943 (citation jointly listed with Second Engineer Officer H. Hotham’s George Medal): ‘When his ship was set on fire in harbour by enemy aircraft, the Second Engineer Officer remained on board and displayed great and sustained courage with a complete disregard to his personal safety. He stayed alone in the engine-room and endeavoured to get more pressure on the pumps but all attempts to extinguish the fires had to be abandoned as the service pipes were fractured. He helped to get two injured officers into a boat and then returned to the engine-room and remained their endeavouring to get more pressure on the pumps. When the engine-room bulkheads were white hot he was ordered to leave. Boatswain Gardner displayed outstanding courage and devotion to duty throughout. Although the ship was burning fiercely liable to blow up he remained at his fire station in an effort to obtain a sufficient supply of water. When ordered to leave he took charge of one of the boats and got away a number of survivors.’ Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette 27 April 1944 (jointly listed with Chief Officer G. P. Stronach and Second Engineer Officer H. Hotham): ‘Ewart Alfred Gardner, Boatswain, Ocean Voyager. During a heavy attack by enemy aircraft on a harbour the vessel was hit and set on fire. The ship had a large cargo of ammunition and petrol and was exploding all the time, and although every effort was made to extinguish the fire she had to be abandoned. The master was killed by the explosion and Chief Officer Stronach took charge of operations. He had been rendered unconscious but recovered almost immediately and went forward to search for survivors. Several of the crew were sheltering in an alleyway, and in spite of exploding ammunition he led them to a boat alongside which carried them to safety. He then lowered another boat and brought alongside the vessel in case other survivors were found. The fire was now raging furiously, but Mr Stronach made his way to the officers’ accommodation amidships, and holding a hose over his head he kept himself wet for protection against the heat and flames. With considerable difficulty he entered the collapsed accommodation, and, finding one of the officers badly burned and unconscious, Mr Stronach got him clear and along the deck to the lowered boat. Returning amidships he discovered another officer who was trapped and removed the debris from him. He dragged him through the port-hole and along the deck, where he tied a rope around his waist and lowered him into the boat. The situation was now becoming perilous and Mr Stronach ordered a man to take the boat to safety. He again returned to the accommodation, where he saw a badly injured officer. Pulling this man along the deck to the side of the ship, he got a rope around him and lowered him to a raft which he had called back to the ship. Once more the chief officer searched for survivors, and on going aft he found a greaser lying unconscious in the scuppers and dragged him to the ship’s side. As there was no boat or raft alongside, he put a lifebelt around the man and threw him overboard. Having made sure there were no more survivors Mr Stronach jumped overboard and swam to a raft, which then returned to rescue the greaser. Chief Officer Stronac