On April 29, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge bestowed the prestigious Gold Lifesaving Medal on Augustus Butler Rowland at a special White House ceremony. Rowland, an Aviation Machinists Mate First Class, was stationed at the United States Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. On January 21, 1925, Rowland and three other crew members were aboard an F-5-L “flying boat” seaplane that crashed near Gull Point in Escambia Bay, northeast of Pensacola, Florida.
Rowland, briefly knocked out during the crash, quickly regained consciousness, disentangled himself, and swam to the surface. Despite suffering the pain from two broken ribs and a double fracture of his right arm, he dove down to the wreckage, successfully saving Phillip D McCall, an unconscious and injured shipmate, from drowning. Unfortunately, his attempts to disentangle and save the other two crew members were not successful. Pilot Clarence Edward Linville, and Rigger First Class Harvey Maxwell Young drowned in the incident.
Curtis D. Wilbur, Secretary of the Navy, issued a letter of commendation to Augustus Butler Rowland for his act of saving a shipmate from drowning during the crash. Wilbur recommended to the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew W Mellon, that Rowland be awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal. The Department of the Navy requested President Calvin Coolidge to personally present the award, which he did immediately following a reading of the citation by Captain Adolphus Andrews, the President’s naval aide.
Rowland, of San Antonio, Texas, enjoyed a long career with the Navy. Born in 1903, he enlisted in 1919 by claiming he was born in 1901. His final discharge occurred in 1950 (San Diego), after serving his country and fellow sailors for more than three decades.
The Gold Lifesaving Medal
Augustus Butler Rowland received the Gold Lifesaving Medal. Both the Silver and Gold Lifesaving Medals were established by an Act of Congress in 1874, becoming two of the oldest medals in the United States. They are special among U.S. medals because they are struck from their named precious metal. Originally established and awarded by the Department of Treasury, the awards were known as Livingsaving Medals First (gold) and Second (silver) Class. They are awarded for rescuing or endeavoring to rescue others from drowning, shipwreck, or other perils of the water. “The Gold Lifesaving Medal may be awarded to an individual who performed a rescue or attempted rescue at the risk of his or her own life, and demonstrates extreme and heroic daring.”
The F-5-L “Flying Boat” Seaplane
The Curtiss F-5-L (U.S. version of the Felixstowe F-5-L) was one of a series of flying boats developed in Felixstowe, England by John Cyril Porte. They were used by the U.S. Navy primarily for patrol operations and were in service from 1918 to 1928. It had an open-cockpit design and carried a crew of four.
Family and Rowland DNA
Augustus Butler Rowland (1903-1972) was born near Palestine, Texas, and passed away in Orange County, California. He is a son of Otho Holland Rowland and Martha Butler. Augustus was young when his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he enlisted in the Navy in 1919. He was assigned to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida. His paternal ancestry traces back to Robert Rowland of Surry County, Virginia, which makes him part of Rowland DNA Group J.
References/Sources
- Featured Image: Augustus Butler Rowland, Aviation Chief Machinists Mate, decorated for heroism by Pres. Coolidge, 29 Apr 1925. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Library of Congress Control Number: 2002712396.
- “Two Naval Aviators Killed in Crash to Bay, Both Drowned Say Doctors; Two Injured.” Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 22 Jan 1925, Thu, Page 1.
- “Rowland Commended For Saving Ship Mate.” Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 24 Mar 1925, Tue, Page 8.
- “President To Give Rowland Hero’s Medal, Although Injured, He Saved Another After Crash.” Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida, 18 Apr 1925, Sat, Page 1.
- “President Honors Machinist’s Mate For Heroic Rescue, Augustus B Rowland Gets Medal for Seaplane Exploit in January.” Evening Star, Washington, District of Columbia, 29 Apr 1925, Wed, Page 5.
- Final Image (below): Coolidge Decorating Aviation Chief Machinists Mate Augustus Butler Rowland, 19 Apr 1925. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Library of Congress Control Number: 2016850354.
