Stanley Frederick Gibbs
GC (2 January 1909 – 3 March 1991) was
an Australian recipient of the Albert Medal, formerly the highest
decoration for gallantry awarded to civilians or to military
personnel for actions "not in the face of the enemy" in the
United
Kingdom
and Commonwealth. Gibbs was
decorated with the Albert Medal for his rescue of a man during a
shark attack in 1927. With the establishment of the
George Cross, the Albert Medal was discontinued
and, in 1971, living recipients of the decoration were invited to
exchange their medal for the George Cross; Gibbs took up the offer
and formally became a recipient of the George Cross.
Early life
Gibbs was
born in Hunters Hill
, New South
Wales
, on 2 January 1909. Leaving school, Gibbs
later gained employment with the Gas Light Company, based in
Sydney
.
Albert Medal
On 3
January 1927, Gibbs was out driving a launch
at Port
Hacking
when he noticed Mervyn Allum struggling in the
water. Thinking the youth was drowning, Gibbs made his way
to the nose of the launch in order to give assistance to Allum. It
was then that Gibbs realised Allum was being attacked by a shark,
and he immediately dived into the water. By kicking and punching
the shark, Gibbs managed to free Allum from its jaws. With the
assistance of another man, Gibbs succeeded in lifting Allum out of
the water and into a rowing boat. Due to his injuries, Allum died
soon after.
For his actions during the incident, Gibbs was subsequently awarded
the Albert Medal. The notification and accompanying citation for
the decoration was published in the
London Gazette on 8 February 1927,
reading:
Later life
In a
ceremony at Sydney Town
Hall
on 28 March 1927, Gibbs was invested with his
Albert Medal by the Duke
of York. On 9 February 1942, Gibbs enlisted in the
Second Australian
Imperial Force at Paddington
for service during the Second World War. Allocated to the
35th Battalion as a
private, he
served in the army until his discharge on 28 December 1944, at
which time he returned to his job with the Gas Light Company. In
1948, Gibbs married Doris Mannix.
During 1971, the British Government announced that all living
recipients of the Albert Medal and
Edward
Medal would in future be treated as recipients of the George
Cross, and were invited to exchange their medals for the latter
award. As such, those who wished to exchange their insignia were
invited to attend an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace to
receive their George Crosses. On 12 July 1972, Gibbs was one of
five Australian Albert Medal recipients presented with his George
Cross by
Queen
Elizabeth II. In 1974, Gibbs retired from the Gas Light
Company. He died in Sydney on 3 March 1991, aged 82.
References
- Footnotes
- Bibliography
External links