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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 744

Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (S. B. O. Curtiss 20th. May 1924) with integral bronze riband buckle, good very fine, in its Elkington & Co. case of issue

R.H.S. Case No. 47,506 (his name first on the list for this Case):

‘For rescuing men from the gas and smoke filled Abbontiakoon Mine in West Africa. Owing to a fire, dense, smokey and poisonous gasses filled the mine and the mine manager with seven white men and four natives were rendered insensible either by smoke or by the after damp following the fire. [Curtiss and 13 others] went down the mine in two parties and succeeded in saving all the men with the exception of one native who lost his life.’

Sidney Bertram Oscar Curtiss was born on 2 August 1893 at St Day, Cornwall and was a miner by trade. Having served with the Royal Artillery (Pair only), he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps & Royal Air Force as a Cadet. Having worked as a Guard on the Uganda railways circa 1922, he then mined in West Africa and India. He latterly returned to East Africa, taking work as a Pauling & Co. Railway guard. Having been registered at Kilindini, he retired to England and died at Worthing in 1963.

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Sold for
£240

Starting price
£110