Alf Lowe

Alfred Raymond Lowe, (born 14 June 1931) is a British recipient of the George Cross. Lowe joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman in January 1947. After training at , he joined the crew of the aircraft carrier . On 17 October 1948, when aged 17, a boat he was on sank and Lowe risked his life to rescue a drowning midshipman. For his actions in the disaster, which led to 29 deaths, including that of the midshipman, Lowe was awarded the Albert Medal for Lifesaving. Lowe later served as a radio operator and diver and saw action in the Korean War aboard , receiving a mention in despatches. Lowe retired from the navy in 1959 as a petty officer. He later worked as a salesman in England and New Zealand. Lowe took up the offer, made to all living Albert Medal recipients in 1971, to exchange his Albert Medal for the George Cross. He now lives in New Zealand.

Early life Lowe was born in London on 14 June 1931. From the age of 12 he attended the Watts Naval School, a boarding school operated by the Barnardo's charity, in North Elmham, Norfolk.

Naval career In January 1947, Lowe joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman. He attended the training establishment in Suffolk. Lowe excelled in the seamanship classes and was one of only two boys, out of 2,000 at Ganges, to be appointed boy coxswain. At 22.45, when the boat was around from the stern of Illustrious, it overturned and sank.

Lowe continued to serve in the navy and became a radio operator and then a shallow-water diver. He served in Hong Kong and later in the Korean War, aboard . In 1971 it was announced that Albert Medal for Lifesaving would be replaced by the George Cross. Existing recipients could exchange their medal for the George Cross. Lowe took up the offer, received the George Cross, and presented his Albert Medal to as an inspiration to naval recruits. Lowe has returned to Portland periodically to attend memorial services for the victims of the 1948 disaster. Lowe is now retired and lives in Bayswater, Auckland.

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

King Charles III Coronation Medal

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal