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Contact Info
Home Town Quincy, Mass.
Last Address After retiring from the Navy in 1946, AMERICA's Admiral conducted business in London and made his home there fora few years before passing away there as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 10, 1961.
Date of Passing Apr 10, 1961
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Rear Admiral Giles C. Stedman, USCG/USNR/USMM (Ret.)
"AMERICA'S ADMIRAL"
Navy Cross and Lifesaving Medals
Superintendent of the Merchant Marine Academy
Giles Chester Stedman (1897-1961), Rear Admiral (United States) and a recipient of the Navy Cross, was the 2nd Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. The son of an Ireland born stonecutter, who worked in Quincy, Massachusetts’ granite quarries, Stedman enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1917 at the age of 20. He was assigned to the USCGC Ossipee (WPR-50). At outbreak of WWI, the ship and its crew were transferred to the US Navy and saw overseas action. Stedman was awarded the World War I Victory Medal for his service. In 1919, he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve. Stedman, thereafter, entered the merchant marine, licensed as a ship’s Third mate or 3rd officer.
First rescue at sea and acts of seagoing heroism:
Awarded the Life-Saving Gold Medal by the U.S. Treasury Department
In 1925, while serving as the First officer of the passenger liner SS Harding, in raging seas and at great personal risk, Stedman commanded the lifeboat that accomplished the near impossible task of rescuing the entire crew of the sinking Italian cargo ship Ignazio Florio. Stedman received civilian medals from the governments of Italy, the United States and from the Lifesaving Benevolent Association for his actions, and a ticker tape parade through New York City honored the entire crew of the Harding.
Second rescue at sea and award of the Navy Cross: Captain Giles C. Stedman (USNR and USMM) Given Life-Saving Benevolent Association Medal by Herbert L. Satterlee, dated 04-28-1933. And, as a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer he was awarded the Navy Cross, a rare award in Peace Time and even rarer for a Reserve Officer. While serving as Master (naval) of the SS American Merchant in 1933, in impossibly violent seas, Stedman effected the rescue of the entire crew of the sinking British merchant steamer SS Exeter City, save its captain and 3 of its crew, who had already been swept overboard in the gale before the American Merchant arrived on the scene. With the American Merchant still 15 miles away and the distressed Exeter City at Longitude 39.3 West and Latitude 47.27 North about 650 miles out at sea off the coast of St. John’s, Newfoundland, some third of the way between there and the tip of Ireland, the Exeter City radioed that its “No. 2 hatch” was already “stove-in, its life boats gone, and its bridge damaged.” With the seas too torrent to hazard a lifeboat rescue, Stedman had the American Merchant circle the Exeter City while discharging heavy oil to calm the adjacent sea (oil, while not as dense and floating on water, is more viscous). He then fired a line 400 yards to the rapidly sinking freighter. The line was used to pull a lifeboat from the American Merchant to the Exeter City. After the crew of the Exeter City boarded the lifeboat, they were pulled to safety by Stedman’s crew. For this amazing feat of rescue, US Navy reservist Giles C. Stedman was awarded the Navy Cross. He also received a silver plaque from the government of Great Britain, the keys to the City of Boston, Massachusetts, and a medal of valor from the City of New York. When Stedman later wrote an article on methods of rescue at sea, it was considered such a technical milestone and so advanced procedures for rescues at sea of the day that Mount St. Mary's University (then, college) awarded Stedman the degree of D.Litt. (honoris causa) and Colgate University awarded him a D.Sc. degree (honoris causa). A second of Stedman’s articles on sea rescue was published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings in 1935.
Third seagoing rescue:
While mastering the SS Washington, Stedman rescued the entire crew of the British freighter Olive Grove when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Irish coast in 1939. By age 43, Stedman held the merchant rank of Commodore.
WWII activation, final and greatest rescue operation, and death:
In 1941, reservist Stedman was activated into the US Navy at the US Navy rank of commander and made executive officer of the United States Navy troop transport USS West Point (AP-23) (former ocean liner SS America - 1939). In 1942, as then British Singapore was about to be overrun by Imperial Japanese forces and while under heavy air attack, the crew of the USS West Point rescued over 2000 British refugees from Singapore, many women and children. During the war, the US Navy promoted Stedman first to the rank of captain and then to rear admiral and appointed him first Commandant of Cadets and then Superintendent at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He served as the academy’s superintendent from 1943 to 1946. Stedman died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in London, England, in 1961. The Mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts, ordered the flags there flown at half-mast in honor of Stedman.
Other Comments:
Giles C. Stedman's Navy Cross citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Giles C. Stedman, United States Naval Reserve, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the S.S. American Merchant when that vessel was engaged in the rescue of twenty-two members of the crew of the British freighter Exeter City which was sinking in the mid-Atlantic, on 20 January 1933. Lieutenant Commander Stedman's excellent seamanship, keen judgment, and professional ability displayed in saving twenty-two lives during a howling wind and a dangerous sea without detriment to his own command is of the highest order and in accordance with the best traditions of the Naval Service. General Orders: Bureau of Navigation Bulletin 199 (September 23, 1933).
THE VALOR MEDAL OF THE AMERICAN BUREAU OF SHIPPING
The medal has been awarded only four times since its inception:
Captain George Fried of the SS AMERICA in recognition of his extraordinary deeds of valor on the high seas and for the rescue of the crew of the SS FLORIDA on 22 January 1929.
Captain Giles C. Stedman of the SS AMERICAN MERCHANT in recognition of his extraordinary deeds of valor on the high seas and for the rescue of the crew of the SS EXETER CITY, January 1933.
Captain Henrik Kurt Carlsen of the SS FLYING ENTERPRISE for his gallant efforts to save his ship in January 1952.
Captain George Sahlberg of the Motor Tug JULIA C. MORAN for heroism and skill in directing the rescuing of 23 survivors from the Motor Tanker ALVA CAPE which collided with the Steam Tanker TEXACO MASSACHUSETTS on 16 June 1966 in the Kill Van Kull, the narrow waterway separating Staten Island from Bayonne, New Jersey.
"AMERICA'S ADMIRAL" is in reference to his skippering both the SS American Merchant, and the SS America (as USS West Point during WWII) of the United States Lines.
This ribbon does not rate any devices for subsequent awards
Details Behind Award
United States Lines - S.S. PRESIDENT HARDING:
New York celebrated with a parade and ceremonies at City Hall in tribute to the brave crew of PRESIDENT HARDING, who, by a great display of courage, rescued the captain and crew of 27 of the Italian S.S. IGNAZIO FLORIO, which foundered in mid-ocean. A large share of the credit for this rescue goes to Salvatore Bracco, who, because of his knowledge of the Italian language, translated the wireless messages being sent from the doomed ship.
A very heavy sea had been running all night on October 18th, and Bracco was up trying to save the PRESIDENT HARDING's stores, which were being tossed about by the rolling and pitching of the liner. After working through the night, he turned in about 9:00 a.m. the following day, thoroughly fatigued. He was awakened a few hours later by Chief Officer Giles C. Stedman, who inquired if could read and write Italian. Answering in the affirmative, he was informed that SOS signals had been received from an Italian ship, but that the radiomen were unable to understand the messages which were being sent in Italian.
Upon reaching the wireless room, he was handed a message from IGNAZIO FLORIO and in translation it read "Very Bad Sea and wind. No possible reparation of steering. Please come quickly". The response was sent "Making all possible speed, eight knots at present, hang on." Bracco remained at his post in the radio room all Monday and Tuesday, translating messages sent between the two .ships. When PRESIDENT HARDING came within sight of the foundering freighter on Wednesday, he volunteered his services in the crew of the rescue boat, which was in the charge of Chief Officer Stedman. When the rescue boat reached IGNAZIO FLORIO, the freighter was listing about 30 degrees. Stedman asked those on board to throw out a line which was made fast and held in the lifeboat. With four men pulling on the oars against the sea, the rescue was effected, the IGNAZIO FLORIO crew pulling themselves along the line to the lifeboat into which they were pulled by the men of PRESIDENT HARDING.
PRESIDENT HARDING was commanded by Captain Paul C. Grening who, on June 14, 1930, received the Treasury Department Silver Lifesaving Medal for this heroic action. Also on this date, Chief Officer Giles C. Stedman, Frederick Strelow, John Wiggele, Thomas Seaton, Karl Meyer, Charles Skare and Richard Carlson received Treasury Department Gold Lifesaving Medals. Salvatore Bracco was to receive the second award bar for his already-presented gold medal (fig 2). Oddly enough, Bracco's medal was awarded for the second rescue and the bar for the first rescue! Chief Officer Stedman would go on to receive the Silver Lifesaving Medal on August 3, 1933, while serving as Captain of the United States Lines - S.S. AMERICAN MERCHANT.
Once again New York City geared up for a rousing reception and tribute in January 1929, for Captain George Fried and the gallant crew of the liner S.S. AMERICA for their rescue of the officers and crew of the Italian tramp steamer S.S. FLORIDA.
On January 12, 1929, a gales swept down on the little steamer and it continued through January 20th, when things got even worse. How fiercely the gale raged might not be realized but for one seaman's phrase. He said "green" water broke over the ship fore and aft. These were no rolling waves throwing weak white crests along the decks, but watery mountains that lifted high above the ship and boarded her in full force, still solid and strong and green. Shortly before midnight the rudder chains gave xvay and the ship was out of control. For the next three days repeated efforts were made to repair the damage and at times emergency steering apparatus was in operation.
As the hours and days passed, the storm increased instead of blowing out. The bridge was carried away, as well as the chart room and the lifeboat, a hatch was stove in, the ship listed to its gunwale and one wave that boarded the freighter almost carried the captain and half of his crew overboard. On January 22nd, Captain Giuseppe Favoloro, realizing his helplessness, sent out an SOS, which was answered by the American freighter S.S. DANNEDAIKE. The exchange of messages was too weak to be heard by other ships or station on land. DANNEDAIKE radioed that she would come to his aid, being about 50 miles away. In a short time, DANNEDAIKE reported that she herself was in trouble. The first general knowledge of distress at sea was the SOS call of FLORIDA in midmorning of January 23rd, and the quickly-following SOS of DANNEDAIKE.
FLORIDA's SOS was responded to by AMERICA, which began a race a gainst time. Their ships were in constant communication by wireless, with AMERICA groping her way by radio direction finder. FLORIDA was unable to give an exact position as all of her instruments were lost overboard. The only section of the ship in working order was the wireless room.
AMERICA finally loomed on the horizon. Squalls of alternating sleet, rain and heavy snow
