Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: October 8, 1999
- Invested on: October 12, 2001
Rank: Leading Seaman
Co-recipient: Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph David Wilson, M.S.M., C.D.
On the evening of January 11, 1999, HMCS Algonquin was conducting sea trials in the Strait of Juan de Fuca when a fire broke out in the diesel generator enclosure. With fire extinguishers, Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilson, then Master Seaman, attacked the fire on the portside while Leading Seaman Coombs did the same on the starboard side. The generator turbo chargers and their exhausts were glowing red and the melted crankcase breather line was spraying oil onto the exhaust lagging which, in turn, was igniting into fireballs. Both engineers alternated between cutting away the smoldering lagging and putting out flash fires. Leading Seaman Coombs and Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilson's quick actions and professionalism helped to avert a disastrous situation, in which the potential for loss of life and equipment was extremely high.
