Arctic Medal 1875-76 (P. Craig. A.B. H.M.S. Discovery.) fitted with silver ribbon buckle, extremely fine £3000-3600

Peter Craig was born on 16 May 1852, in the Parish of Dundee, Forfarshire. He joined the Navy as a Boy 1st Class on 22 April 1868, aboard H.M.S. Duncan. He signed on for 10 years Continuous Service on 16 May 1870, and served subsequently in Barrosa, January to July, 1873; Naval Barracks, July to September, 1873; Audacious, October 1873 to March 1874; Newcastle, March to August, 1874; Endymion, August 1874 to March 1875; Duke of Wellington, 1-16 April 1875; Discovery, 17 April 1875 to 5 December 1876; Naval Barracks, December 1876 to 26 January 1877, when discharged to Shore by purchase.

Able Seaman Peter Craig was a member of the eight-man sledging party under Lieutenant Lewis Beaumont which travelled to the north coast of Greenland. Their sledge Sir Edward Parry left the Discovery on 8 April 1876 and reached the Alert on 15 April. The party left Alert on 22 April for the north coast and reached the depot at Polaris Bay on 2 July. They returned to the Discovery on 14 August, having been away from ship for 131 days.

Craig began suffering from scurvy four days before the party reached its furthest point and was not examined until 25 June when Dr Coppinger found him ‘very weak’. During this period he was often unable to walk and had to be carried on the sledge. Craig stated that he ‘felt very hungry but could not take the sledging rations’. When he arrived at Polaris Bay on 1 July he complained ‘bitterly of the jolting of the sledge’ but with an improved diet he made a steady recovery until, by 29 July, he was well on the road to recovery. Sold with detailed research including copied record of service and entry from Discovery’s Medical Journal kept by Staff Surgeon Belgrave Ninnis, M.D.