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THE HISTORY OF THE BELILIOS STAR: HONG KONG'S OWN LIFE-SAVING MEDAL
DAVID MAHONEY
Having acquired a named silver Belilios Star at a recent London auction, I have been persuaded to write a piece on this rare medal, which is Hong Kong's own life-saving award.
This particular Star, hallmarked 1884 - the year of its institution - is named to F. Horspool, who is thought to be Fred, the son of George who was a senior Hong Kong policeman in the late 19th century.
The Star, in silver for life-saving on land and bronze at sea, has not been awarded since Lee Wing-kee received a silver one in 1984.
Although records of the awards since 1945 seem to be complete, very little material is available prior to that. Presumably all records kept by the Registrar General, the trustee of the Belilios Fund, were destroyed during the Second World War.
I should be grateful for any information that readers may have on the Star, its design changes and past awards for the period 1884 - 1945.