Lot Essay
Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas Shilson was born in Dover, Kent in June 1831 and was already an experienced mariner when he entered the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Vulcan in May 1854. By the late 1850s, following service in the Baltic and Crimea, he had been advanced to Captain of the Forecastle, which rate he held at the time of his lifesaving exploits aboard H.M.S. Bombay off the coast of South America on 22.12.1864. A Dictionary of Sea Disasters takes up the story:
'The Line-of-Battleship Bombay, Captain Colin Campbell, was the Flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Elliot, C.B., commanding the South American Station. The ship was constructed of teak and in 1860 had been cut in two, lengthened and converted into a Screw Steamship. On the afternoon of 22 December 1864, she was off Montevideo preparing for target practice. Some 14 miles outside the harbour, all was ready to commence when a Seaman in the Shell Room saw signs of a fire and immediately gave the alarm. The time was between 2 and 3 o'clock and in a very short time the whole ship was in flames from end to end despite the good discipline of the crew and the rapidity with which the pumps were manned. To add to the difficulties the method of ventilation ensured that a strong current of air was always circulating through the hold by means of grating in the partitions, and through the ports between the decks. This had the effect of fanning the flames until the lower part of the ship became a furnace. Another misfortune was the bursting of the casks in the Spirit Room, their flaming contents being spilt all over the decks and driving back the men who were fighting the fire. The shells stowed in the lockers by the guns also started to explode and to spread destruction on the gun decks. Three-quarters of an hour after the first alarm the mainmast went by the board and by 5 o'clock the ship was abandoned. Two hours later the fire reached the magazine and the Bombay blew up, taking with her two Officers and 90 men, the greater part of whom could not swim and feared to trust themselves to the chance of being picked up by boats. A quantity of molten lead poured from the bows and compelled many seeking refuge there to jump overboard'.
The gallantry shown that afternoon by the crew of the Bombay was ultimately recognised by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, with the award of one Gold and 13 Silver Medals. Among those to receive one of the latter and a 2 reward was Thomas Shilson. He remained in the Service until finally being pensioned ashore from H.M.S. Implacable in May 1874.
'The Line-of-Battleship Bombay, Captain Colin Campbell, was the Flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Elliot, C.B., commanding the South American Station. The ship was constructed of teak and in 1860 had been cut in two, lengthened and converted into a Screw Steamship. On the afternoon of 22 December 1864, she was off Montevideo preparing for target practice. Some 14 miles outside the harbour, all was ready to commence when a Seaman in the Shell Room saw signs of a fire and immediately gave the alarm. The time was between 2 and 3 o'clock and in a very short time the whole ship was in flames from end to end despite the good discipline of the crew and the rapidity with which the pumps were manned. To add to the difficulties the method of ventilation ensured that a strong current of air was always circulating through the hold by means of grating in the partitions, and through the ports between the decks. This had the effect of fanning the flames until the lower part of the ship became a furnace. Another misfortune was the bursting of the casks in the Spirit Room, their flaming contents being spilt all over the decks and driving back the men who were fighting the fire. The shells stowed in the lockers by the guns also started to explode and to spread destruction on the gun decks. Three-quarters of an hour after the first alarm the mainmast went by the board and by 5 o'clock the ship was abandoned. Two hours later the fire reached the magazine and the Bombay blew up, taking with her two Officers and 90 men, the greater part of whom could not swim and feared to trust themselves to the chance of being picked up by boats. A quantity of molten lead poured from the bows and compelled many seeking refuge there to jump overboard'.
The gallantry shown that afternoon by the crew of the Bombay was ultimately recognised by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, with the award of one Gold and 13 Silver Medals. Among those to receive one of the latter and a 2 reward was Thomas Shilson. He remained in the Service until finally being pensioned ashore from H.M.S. Implacable in May 1874.