Life Saving Awards

Royal Humane Society, Testimonial on Vellum (2), the first inscribed ‘William H. Thomas is justly entitled to the Honorary Testimonial of this society, inscribed on Vellum, which is hereby awarded him for having on the 3rd August 1908 gone to the rescue of T. H. Davies who was in imminent danger of drowning at St. Justinian St. David and whose life he gallantly saved’, with signature of the Prince of Wales as President of the Society; the second inscribed ‘Lionel M. Sharp is justly entitled to the Honorary Testimonial of this society inscribed on Vellum which is hereby awarded him for having on the 9th July 1914 at great personal risk gallantly attempted to rescue the Reverend D. Walters who was unfortunately drowned at Goodwick, Fishguard’ this mounted on card, slight water damage to first, otherwise generally good condition (2) £80-£120 --- W. H. Thomas, a farmer from St. David, Pembroke, was awarded his Royal Humane Society Testimonial for rescuing T. H. Davies whilst he was sea bathing at St. Justinian on 3 August 1908. Whilst bathing Davies became exhausted 12 yards out in the sea which was 10 to 15 feet deep. Thomas went to his help and took him to a rock whence they were taken by a boat. (R.H.S. Case no. 36,388). Lionel ‘Leo’ Meredith Sharp was born in Newhaven, Sussex in February 1894 and at the time of the rescue of the Reverend David Walters was employed as a Fitters Apprentice, and lived in Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. The following article from The Western Mail, 11 July 1914, gives further detail behind Sharp’s rescue attempt: ‘Assistant-scoutmaster Leo Sharp’s plucky deed in trying to save the Rev. D. Walters from drowning at Goodwick has excited much admiration. He had just finished dressing after a long swim with two other scouts, Exon and Creece, when he heard Mr. Walters call for help. Clad in heavy nailed boots and knickers, Sharp swam out to the distressed clergyman, who had gone down. He dived, and seizing him by the hair hauled him up. Sharp was dragged under twice, but got underneath and pushed Mr. Walters forward, calling on his two scouts to bring a punt. This was brought at once, and within two or three minutes the body was landed. While the other boys went for the doctor and appliances Sharp commenced artificial respiration but without avail. Scoutmaster Sharp is the second son of Captain R. Sharp, Fishguard Harbour, and efforts to secure recognition of his deed are being made in the proper quarter.’ Sharp enlisted in the Royal Engineers in September 1914, and served with the 14th Signal Company as a Sergeant during the Great War on the Western Front from 19 May 1915. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1916 (London Gazette 21 June 1916: ‘For consistent good work with a Signal Section. He has set a fine example to those under him when carrying out difficult and dangerous work), and was gassed in October the following year. After the war he joined the Merchant navy and was employed as an engineer. Sold with copied research, including photographic images of recipient.