Pilots Awarded The Merchant Navy Medal

March 15th, 2009 by JCB
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The MN Medal recipients with Admiral Lord West of Spithead. All photos: John Neligan

 

Further to last year’s Merchant Navy medal awards which saw retired Liverpool pilot Dave Devey receive the medal for “services to UK and European pilotage” (see pilot 292) December 4^th last year saw two UKMPA serving pilots receive the award from Admiral Lord West of Spithead at St Michael Paternoster Royal Church, City of London.

John Freestone

London pilot John Freestone received the medal for “services to Thames pilotage and youth sail training” and of particular note Tees Bay pilot, Colin Pratt received the award for his bravery in rescuing fellow pilot Paul Dunn (see issue 295) from the freezing waters of the N. Sea.

Colin Pratt

On April 17, 2008, Colin was in the pilot cutter when Paul lost his grip whist boarding the coaster Karina G, and in the darkness and heavy seas fell into the sea. Although a lifebuoy was thrown to him from the pilot cutter, the cold had numbed him so rapidly that he completely lost the use of his hands and was unable to attach it to his harness to enable him to be winched back on board. Without hesitation, Colin donned a survival suit and in the pitch dark and heavy swells, jumped into the sea where he secured the rescue line to Paul. Once safely on board the cutter, Colin wrapped him in blankets and kept up a stream of conversation to stop him losing consciousness as they sped back in to port. 

He then accompanied Paul to hospital and waited with him until his wife arrived. In his 20 minutes in the water, Paul’s body temperature had fallen to 31C (the norm is 37C and 29C is regarded as being fatal), and clearly he could not have survived much longer. The nomination for Colin’s medal praised his “unselfish act of courage which undoubtedly helped to save the life of a colleague”.

JCB

In addition to Colin and John, nine others also received the award:

Michael Grey (services to marine journalism and merchant seafaring)

M. Coombs (services to cruise liners and the South Atlantic Medal Association)

Capt M. J. Morton (services to coastal shipping)

Capt E. M. Scott, RNR, (services to merchant seafaring and the exploration and scientific research)

CPO J. W. Summers (services to polar exploration and research)

A.R. Todd (services to marine surveying and consultancy)

B. J. Wattling (services to cruise liners). 

Honorary awards were made to: 

Miss A. P. Haines (services to the welfare of merchant seafarers)

Cdr C. F. Heron-Watson, RN (services to the welfare and education of the dependents of needy merchant seafarers). 

Photo captions:

MNM 1: London pilot, John Freestone

MNM 2: Tees Bay pilot: Colin Pratt

MNM 3: The 2008 Merchant Navy medal recipients with Admiral Lord West of Spithead