Giles C. Stedman

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Giles Chester Stedman (1897–1961) was a United States Navy Rear Admiral and a Navy Cross recipient who served as the second superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.

Early life and career beginnings
Stedman was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, the son of an Ireland-born stonecutter who worked in the area’s granite quarries. He joined the United States Coast Guard in 1917 at age 20 and served aboard the cutters, including the USCGC Ossipee. When World War I began, Ossipee and its crew were transferred to the Navy, and Stedman served overseas, earning the World War I Victory Medal. In 1919 he was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve and later moved into the merchant marine, where he was licensed as a Third Mate.

Notable rescues and honors
In 1925, while First Officer of the passenger liner SS Harding, Stedman commanded a lifeboat that rescued the entire crew of the sinking Italian cargo ship Ignazio Florio. For this action he received medals from Italy and the United States, as well as honors from the Lifesaving Benevolent Association, and the crew’s rescue was celebrated with a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

In 1933, as Master (naval) of the SS American Merchant, he helped save the crew of the British freighter Exeter City in a violent gale. With the Exeter City in distress and the American Merchant nearby, Stedman had his ship circle the damaged freighter, discharged oil to calm the sea, and sent a line 400 yards to pull a lifeboat. After their crew boarded, they were brought to safety. For this daring rescue, Stedman was awarded the Navy Cross, along with a silver plaque from Britain, the keys to the City of Boston, and a New York City Medal of Valor. He also wrote technical articles on sea rescues, which earned further honors, including honorary degrees from Mount St. Mary’s University and Colgate University, and publication in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings in 1935.

In 1939, while Master of the SS Washington, he again rescued an endangered crew when the British freighter Olive Grove was torpedoed off the Irish coast.

World War II and later career
Stedman’s expertise and leadership continued to be recognized. By 1939 he had become a Commodore in the merchant service. In 1941 he was activated by the U.S. Navy as a Commander and served as executive officer of the troop transport USS West Point (AP-23). In 1942, during the fall of Singapore, the West Point rescued more than 2,000 British refugees under heavy air attack.

During World War II, Stedman rose in rank to Captain and then Rear Admiral. He was appointed the first Commandant of Cadets and later Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, serving as the academy’s head from 1943 to 1946.

Death and legacy
Stedman died of a cerebral hemorrhage in London, England, in 1961. The Mayor of Quincy ordered flags flown at half-mast in his honor.

Navy Cross (summary)
The Navy Cross awarded to Giles C. Stedman recognized his exceptional seamanship and leadership in rescuing twenty-two members of the Exeter City’s crew during a perilous mid-Atlantic rescue in January 1933, without sacrificing the safety of his own vessel or crew.