BEM Group For Gallantry To The Merchant Navy

BEM ( GRI ) GYSBERT FLUIT 1939/45 Star , Atlantic Star bar France and Germany , Pacific Star bar Burma , War medal

CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE
ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.
St. James's Palace, S.W.I.
9th July, 1941.
The KING has been graciously pleased to
give orders for the undermentioned appointments to the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire, for the following awards of
the George Medal and the British Empire
Medal and for the publication in the London
Gazette of the names of Officers and Men of
the Merchant Navy specially shown below as
having received an expression of Commendation for their brave conduct

Awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil
Division): —
Herbert Phythian, Seaman.
Gysbert Fluit, Seaman.
The Master of the vessel returned in the
darkness to the scene of an attack on a convoy. Men were dimly seen clinging to rafts.
Second Officer Anholm volunteered to take
a boat with a crew of two, Seamen Phythian
and Fluit, to rescue these men. Seventeen
exhausted seamen were picked up and the
heavy boat-load was brought back to the
ship and the men hauled aboard.
Later the same night the Second Officer
helped to save other men when boats were
sighted. In all, forty-nine men owe their lives to the Master's skilful handling of the
ship, and to the brave conduct of the Second
Officer and his boat's crew.

At the time of the award Gysbert Fluit ( from Sunderland ) was serving on the SS Harberton

Code: 51048