Recipient of the George Cross Medal of Honour for Civilian Bravery. Bastian was awarded his medal for action off Brest, France, on March 30, 1943. The account of his deed reads-Mr. Bastian was on watch in the engine-room of his ship (SS Bowman) when it was torpedoed 500 miles off Brest on 30th March 1943, and sustained severe damage. He at once shut off the engines and then remembered that two firemen were on watch in the stokehold. The engine-room was in darkness and water was already pouring into it. Although there was grave risk of disastrous flooding in opening the watertight door between the stokehold and the engine-room, Mr. Bastian did not hesitate but groped his way to the door and opened it. The two firemen were swept into the engine-room with the inrush of water - one man had a broken arm and injured feet and the other was badly bruised and shaken. Mr. Bastian made efforts to hold them both but lost one, so he dragged the other to the escape ladder and helped him on deck. He then returned for the other and helped him to safety. The more seriously injured man had practically to be lifted up the ladder by Mr. Bastian, who was himself half choked by cordite fumes. He had taken a very great risk in opening the watertight door into the already flooded and darkened engine-room of the sinking ship."
Recipient of the George Cross Medal of Honour for Civilian Bravery. Bastian was awarded his medal for action off Brest, France, on March 30, 1943. The account of his deed reads-Mr. Bastian was on watch in the engine-room of his ship (SS Bowman) when it was torpedoed 500 miles off Brest on 30th March 1943, and sustained severe damage. He at once shut off the engines and then remembered that two firemen were on watch in the stokehold. The engine-room was in darkness and water was already pouring into it. Although there was grave risk of disastrous flooding in opening the watertight door between the stokehold and the engine-room, Mr. Bastian did not hesitate but groped his way to the door and opened it. The two firemen were swept into the engine-room with the inrush of water - one man had a broken arm and injured feet and the other was badly bruised and shaken. Mr. Bastian made efforts to hold them both but lost one, so he dragged the other to the escape ladder and helped him on deck. He then returned for the other and helped him to safety. The more seriously injured man had practically to be lifted up the ladder by Mr. Bastian, who was himself half choked by cordite fumes. He had taken a very great risk in opening the watertight door into the already flooded and darkened engine-room of the sinking ship."
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