A gallantry award given to an Aran lifeboat volunteer who helped to save 12 crew from two fishing vessels in Galway Bay almost 79 years ago has been presented back to the RNLI station’s crew by one of his relatives.
John Harwood, grand-nephew of RNLI crewman Patrick Flaherty, recalled the courage of his grand-uncle’s crew when he visited the largest Aran island of Inis Mór this week.
Mr Flaherty was bowman on the Aran lifeboat when a 39m (130ft) steam trawler, Nogi, ran aground on Galway Bay's Straw island on the night of August 16th-17th in 1938.
As the Times of London reported afterwards, 16 fishermen in all were in difficulty.
The Nogi had grounded in heavy seas with 12 crew on board, and four crew from another fishing trawler, Hatano, got into difficulties while trying to assist.
“The (Aran) lifeboat went first to the small boat, the rowlock of which caught in the fender of the lifeboat, and there was danger of a serious accident,” the newspaper reported. “The motor mechanic jumped aboard the boat and smashed the rowlock with a hatchet. The four men were rescued and their boat towed away,” it said.
"It was impossible for the lifeboat to get alongside the Nogi, but five of her crew manned the small boat; it was lowered by a rope down to the Nogi and in two journeys rescued the 11 men on board," it said.
"A member of the Nogi's crew had been swept away in the trawler's boat when she struck. His boots were found on an island, but it was only after eight hours' search that the man was found dazed and exhausted. The whole rescue had taken over 14 hours," it reported.
Mr Flaherty was one of seven RNLI Aran crew, including coxswain John Gin and motor mechanic Joseph Doyle, to receive a bronze medal and citation on vellum for gallantry, while another four crew were given “thanks” inscribed on vellum.
Each lifeboat crewman was also awarded £3 sterling, 175 shillings and six old pennies, the Times reported on October 4th, 1938.
Mr Harwood’s uncle Paddy, son of Patrick Flaherty, lived in the northwest of England and worked most of his life as a miner. He died in 1998,leaving his nephew the citation for the bronze medal.
“This always had pride of place in my uncle’s house,” Mr Harwood said. “As a child he often told me the story about how his father and, I think, his older brother took part in the rescue.
“He also regaled me with tales of his life on Aran, particularly his connection with the sea. This influenced me in later life to love the sea and, along with my wife, I have had a 30-year passion for the sea as a diver and yachtsman,” he said.
“As time marches on, I realise that there will be no one to appreciate the award when my wife and I are no longer here,” he said.
Mr Harwood and his wife, Mary, met members of both Aran Islands and Galway RNLI in Ros-a-Mhíl on Wednesday evening before presenting the citation on vellum to Aran Islands RNLI coxswain John O’Donnell.
“We are extremely touched by John and Mary’s generous gesture to place what is their precious heirloom into the care of Aran Islands lifeboat station,” Mr O’Donnell said.
"RNLI medals for gallantry are rare and are presented for acts of bravery and this was certainly the case on the night the lifeboat carried out the rescue of the Nogi in 1938. We are very grateful to receive this award from John and Mary and can assure them it will take pride of place in his granduncle Patrick Flaherty's lifeboat station," he said.
