THE daughter of a merchant seaman from Cardigan has spoken of her shock on discovering his act of gallantry on the coast of Argentina 87 years ago.

Vivian Squibbs, a former Cardigan Sea Scout whose family ran a photographic business at Bank House up until 1967, was serving as an apprentice aboard the steamship Wimbourne when he plunged into the harbour at Bahia Blanca on 28 January 1929 to rescue a fellow crewman who had fallen overboard.

This selfless act saw the young seaman awarded both the Silver Cross for Gallantry and the British Humane Society Bronze Medal.

However, the modest hero never mentioned the incident to his parents who were belatedly notified by Dr D Rees, headmaster of Cardigan County School several months later.

And Mr Squibbs’ daughter, Pam Fudge, was also kept in the dark – only finding out in the past few weeks while conducting research into her family history!

“When my dad passed away, Mum gave me his World War Two medals that I knew about,” she told the Cambrian News.

“However, I didn’t know that he had been awarded a Silver Cross for gallantry and a Humane Society Bronze medal for bravery.”

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