It has been over 4 years since I wrote about the Royal Navy’s Narrow Suspender Long Service & Good Conduct medal introduced in 1875. As that blog stated, some of those medals still had the years of service engraved on the edge. On 5 March 1877 a
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A recent publication by OMRS entitled “By Order of her Majesty” co-authored by OMSA presenter and blogger William Pickering, deals at length with the manufacture and official naming of Crimea medals which at the time, presented a huge challenge for the Royal Mint and its subcontractors because
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The Medal This attractive medal sanctioned in March 1869 is possibly the most unusual British medal of the Victorian Era, its suspender consisting of an imperial crown and ring was never used again for a campaign medal and the embossed naming of the recipient is reminiscent of
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In an earlier blog, I mused about themes and how my appetite began and developed. As I expanded my Boer War collection and tried to fill it out with representative medals to other regiments who served where the Gordons didn’t, I simultaneously began to acquire earlier medals
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Most of the blogs on the OMSA site are educational in nature. I am not sure this one will be. This is more like a Merriam-Webster definition: Define blog: a Web site on which someone writes about personal opinions, activities, and experiences; I think one of the
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New Zealand medals were awarded for two distinctly separate groups of conflicts: The First War 1845-1847 and The Second War 1860-1866 I created a blog last year focusing on the first war which can be accessed here and in this second blog, my focus is on the
Read more →How does one get interested in collecting medals, or anything else for that matter? For me it may have been the simple fact that both my Grandfathers gave me their WWI groups, and somehow 55 years later I am still fascinated in the history of the Royal
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The Baltic theatre of the Crimean War took place in the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg, the Russian capital. The medal was awarded for services in the Baltic under Admiral Napier and Rear Admiral Dundas. The reverse of the medal is particularly attractive in my opinion
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The battle of Elandslaagte took place on October 21, 1899 during the first two weeks of the war and before Ladysmith had been invested by the Boer Forces. Elandslaagte is a small village on the railway line between Ladysmith and Dundee in Natal and at the outbreak
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Many collectors avoid medals to men named to Smith, Williams, Jones or other common surnames. The rationale being that it’s much easier to research medals to men with unusual names. I found myself being delighted recently when I discovered an unusual middle name existed for William A.
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• Examination : in 1797 (PRO ADM 6/95/170-171).
• Lieutenant : on 16 December 1797 (2).
• Commander : on 27 April 1801 (13).
• Post-Captain : on 5 March 1808.
• Died: on 5 October 1832.
Sources:
Marshall, vol ix, p. 295.
The Complete Navy List 1793-1815 (CD).
Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Lissa, and also claimed this NGS clasp along with six other clasps. One of 3 confirmed 7 clasp NGS medals. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee” overseeing the institution of the NGS medal 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1949)
KCB 2 Jan 1815, Kt.B 29 Jun 1815, GCB 5 Jul 1855
Died on 8 Jan 1869
Received the Small Naval Gold medal for Surprise wh. Hermione, and claimed the NGS medal with clasp for this action as well. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)
Kt.B 1 Feb 1800, KCB 2 Jan 1815, Bt 26 Jan 1819
Died on 21 Mar 1851
Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for Victorious wh. Rivoli, and also claimed the NGS with this clasp. His medal group sold at Spink in Jun 1982. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849)
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 5 Jul 1842
Died on 7 Jul 1851
For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 13 Nov 1827
Died on 28 Apr 1851
Admiral Robert Stopford (1768-1847)
Small Naval Gold medal for St. Domingo. He directed the operations that resulted in the capture of Java on 8 August 1811. His last active post, in his early seventies, was as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet during the Syrian War. Claimed the NGS medal with six clasps, the medal is in the NMM. Colonel of the Royal Marines on 9 November 1805. Governor of Greenwich Hospital from 1 May 1841 till his death. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 6 Jun 1831, GCMG 10 May 1837
Died on 25 June 1847
A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Received the Small Naval Gold Medal for St. Vincent, which was stolen in 1900 from Greenwich Hospital (with Nelson’s Gold medals). Claimed the NGS medal with ‘St. Vincent’ clasp, the medal is in a private collection in the UK. Shown here as a GCB with Gold Medal. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 17 Nov 1830
Died on 28 Oct 1849
The man who burned Washington
Claimed a six clasp NGS medal, supposedly the only medal issued to a Rear Admiral. The medal is in the NMM. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 20 Feb 1818
Died on 19 Aug 1853
Sir Thomas Byam Martin, wearing the KCB star only, having been invested, but not installed in the Order yet.
A veteran of the American Revolutionary War. As Captain of HMS Santa Margarita captured the French frigate Tamise, June 1796. Commanding HMS Fisgard he captured the French Immortalité off Tory Island in October 1798. In the Baltic in August 1808, as Captain of HMS Implacable, took part in the capture the Russian ship Sewolod. Served on the ‘Flag Officer’s Committee’ overseeing the institution of the NGS medal in 1847-50. For more details see: O’Byrne (1849).
KCB 2 Jan 1815, GCB 3 Mar 1830, Kt.B 1814, KS (Sweden) 1808
Died on 21 Oct 1854
