Orders, Decorations and Medals

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (J. Donley, A.B., H.M.S. Esk) officially impressed naming in later style as for East & West Africa medals, good very fine £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866.

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Donley's medal was issued on 26 January 1892. 119 medals (16 to R.N. officers, 79 to R.N. ratings, 1 to R.M. officer, and 23 to R.M. N.C.Os. and men) were issued to H.M.S. Esk of which 48 are known, including 4 with undated reverses to R.N. ratings.

John Donley was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, on 5 March 1838, and entered the service aboard Hastings as an Ordinary Seaman on 5 January 1858, volunteering for 10 years Continuous Service (No. 35,788), having previously been in the Merchant Service from 1855. Subsequently he served on Russel (January to July 1858), Victor Emanuel (July to August 1858), Russel (August to December 1858), Impregnable (January 1859), Orion (January 1859 to April 1860), Neptune (April 1860 to December 1862), and Duke of Wellington (December 1862 to May 1863). He was Discharged to Gaol for 28 days in Auckland from Esk on 30 November 1863. Sold with copy of Entry of Service and page from Description Book of H.M.S. Esk.