Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Joint Naval/Military actions
PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:40 am 
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Further to my post about sailors who were awarded the Military General Service Medal I checked out how many battles/actions were recognised for both the Naval and the Military GSM's.

There were just four:

Martinique - 24 Feb 1809
Guadaloupe - 6 Feb 1810
Java - Aug 1811
St Sebastian - 9 Sep 1813

I noticed that we have just passed the 200th anniversary of Martinique.

There is more information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Martinique (click here then the 1809 battle)

You will see that there is various mention of sailors on the island itself e.g.

Quote:
For nine days, the British soldiers and sailors of the expeditionary force constructed gun batteries and trenches around the fort, bringing ashore large quantities of supplies and equipment in readiness for a lengthy siege.


But I wonder what 6 of the sailors did that they received the Military GSM.

They were:

Lt Wilson B Bigland - HMS Pompee
Edwin Richards (Master's Mate) - HMS Pompee
Scott James (Master's Mate) - HMS Pompee
Lt Thomas Burdwood - HMS Belleisle
Chas S Jackson (Vol 1st Class) - HMS Captain
William Wells (AB) - HMS Amarathe

And I wonder if there was any perceived seniority of the MGSM over the NGSM?

MB


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:11 pm 
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In his book “Naval Medals 1793 - 1856” Kenneth Douglas-Morris gives another action - Lieutenant William Carroll RN received an MGSM for Maida 1806. A Royal Marine officer, Lieut. Rea received one for Vittoria 1813.

The RN Museum at Portsmouth apparently has two of these in their collection of medals - that belonging to Lieutenant Edward Lloyd (Java) and Masters Mate Richards for Martinique.

In both cases they had served ashore, Richards in manning a battery of naval guns and Lloyd on the staff of General Auchmuty.

I believe that in those days, GSMs were not awarded as a right, but had to be claimed. It may be that there were many more entitled, but never made a claim.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:16 pm 
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Dougls-Morris also states that two Army Small Gold Medals were awarded; one to a naval officer - Captain George Sayer of HMS Leda for Java (commanded 500 seamen ashore) and one to a marine - Captain Richard Bunce, for Java, for service ashore


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:26 am 
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P

Thanks for that additional information. I don't know why - but this "crossing of barriers" between the services has caught my imagination.

In my search for additional info. on the 6 Martinique men I checked out O'Byrne's Biographical Dictionary and found that 5 of them have entries in there.

For 4 it just states that they were present at Martinique in 1809.

There is somewhat more information about Wilson Braddyll Bigland (sounds like a character from a Victorian melodrama!!)

O'Byrne states that:

Quote:
During that period he served on shore with a party of seamen from the POMPEE, at the reduction of Martinique, in Feb. 1809, on which occasion he was in temporary command of the seaman's battery at the moment the enemy first hoisted the white flag of capitulation.


But still no idea why he or any of the others "crossed the line" from being a sailor performing his duties on land - to actually serving as a soldier.

Edward Lloyd does seem to be a very specific case as it sounds as if he was literally seconded to an Army unit.

For the others - maybe something we will never know??!!

MB


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