William Maunder

Rank: Transport Sergeant

Regiment: 2/7th Battalion (Cyclist), Devonshire Regiment

Other Info: The text reads: “… a very interesting ceremony was performed last Tuesday morning by the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hibberd, who presented one of his N.C.O.’s, Transport Sergeant Maunder, with a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal, and a testimonial, for saving life from drowning. The action which won the gallant Sergeant the medal was performed by him on July 15th, 1915, when he was stationed at Charlestown. A foreign seaman attempted to commit suicide by inflicting a wound in his throat and jumping overboard a vessel in the dock, the effects causing his death. Another man attempted to save him, but when the Sergeant was informed that a man was in the dock, he threw off his tunic and dived off the quay into the muddy water, and brought the man to the surface. The act was all the more heroic, as it was very dark, the flood gates were open and a very strong current was running. There was no great depth of water, but a great quantity of mud, and if he had got into this it would have been impossible for him to free himself. At the inquest the Coroner warmly complimented both men. This is the third life Sergeant Maunder has saved from drowning. His comrades heartily cheered him as he received his medal.

Additional name information obtained after help from Twitter conversations.

Published: January 1916

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