b. ? d. ?
DATE OF AM ACTION: 10/06/1901 Portsmouth, Hampshire.
Frederick Paffett AM
Very little is known about the life of Chief Stoker Frederick Paffett other than his Albert Medal action.
AM CITATION:
On the evening of June 10th, 1901, at about 9.30, His Majesty’s ship ” Daring,” torpedo boat destroyer, was entering Portsmouth Harbour under easy steam, when an. explosion suddenly took place in. the after stokehold. A tube was blown out of the lower barrel of No. 2 boiler and the whole stokehold was filled with steam. At the time of the accident there were five men in the stokehold—Chief Stoker Paffett and four stokers. Owing to the volume of steam it was impossible for them to see each other, but two men, though scalded and partly overcome by the great heat, managed to get up the ladder to the deck. Paffett, whose place of duty as Chief Stoker gave him the best opportunities of escape, was standing, when the accident occurred, with his hand on the port side ladder. He remained, however, in the stokehold and endeavoured to avert the consequences of the explosion in the only way possible, namely, by opening the steam valve of the starboard fan. With this object he went deliberately across the hold, groping for the valve which he could not see, the steam from the boiler striking full on his left arm which was shielding his face. But he found it impossible to reach the valve and it was only with difficulty that he was able to regain the ladder, badly scalded and almost unconscious. As he mounted the ladder he was able to save the life of Stoker Elliott, who was slipping down from above in a fainting condition. Paffett being a very powerful man, raised him on his left shoulder and lifted him to the deck; then, reaching the deck himself, aided by those above, he fell down completely overcome. He was much disfigured by burns and scalds; and has almost lost the use of his left arm.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL NAVAL MUSEUM, PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE.
Acknowledgement:
Allan Stanistreet – Image of Frederick Paffett AM.