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	Gallantry		Gallantry

	Allan Murdoch
	Edward Medal, Second Class
	Date:	10 May 1913
	Colliery:	Harrington Dock, Liverpool
	Occupation:

 

Whitehall, August 8, 1913.

His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to award the Edward Medal of the 2nd Class to ...Also to Allan Murdoch under the following circumstances:—

On the 10th of May, the barge "Arctic," belonging to the Liverpool Grain Storage and Transit Company, was taken alongside the s.s. "Monarch," in the Harrington Dock, Liverpool, to transfer some damaged corn from the ship to the barge. On the 12th of May, the

captain of the barge and the mate went on board and removed several of the hatch covers to put in more grain. The mate, noticing a dead rat lying in the hatch, went down, but collapsed on reaching the bottom. Murdoch, seeing that something was wrong through the conduct of the captain, who ran up and down the deck calling for help, rushed on board and descended the hold, accompanied by William Brown, the mate of another vessel. On reaching the bottom of the ladder, 12 feet long, both Brown and Murdoch were affected by the gas. Murdoch climbed out again, but Brown, in spite of his endeavours, failed to do so. In the meantime other men had arrived on board the boat, and Murdoch, with a life line attached to him, went down again into the hatch. He succeeded in bringing out the mate (Weedell), who was six feet away from the bottom of the ladder. He went down a second time, and managed to attach the rope to Brown, but then himself collapsed, and the two men were drawn out together. Weedell's life was saved; but Brown unfortunately succumbed to the effects of the gas. It is clear that Murdoch ran a very serious risk to his own life in descending twice into the hold, after being overcome by the gas in his first descent, and that, his gallant action in all probability saved the mate from death.

Source: London Gazette (12 Aug 1913)

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