Orders, Decorations and Medals

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (161281 Sto. W. J. Bishop, H.M.S. Terrible) large impressed naming, edge bruising and contact marks, good fine £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Boer War Medals to the Royal Navy.

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William James Bishop was born in Brighton on 9 February 1871, the son of John and Alice Bishop. A Labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on Asia in June 1891. He was promoted to Stoker when on Anson in December 1892. Posted to the Terrible, March 1898-October 1902 he served in the Boer War with the Naval Brigade in the operations for the relief of Ladysmith (260 awarded the above two clasp medal). On the same ship he went on to serve in the Third China War for which he was awarded the China Medal without clasp. He was promoted to Leading Stoker 2nd Class when on the Duke of Wellington in February 1903 and Leading Stoker 1st Class when on the Hawke in February 1904. He attained the rank of Stoker Petty Officer in July 1906 when based at Victory II. In June 1913 he was pensioned ashore and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve. Mobilized for the war, he served initially at Vernon and Victory II. Posted to the light cruiser Royalist in March 1915, he died on board of heart disease on 3 May 1915. He was buried in Osmondwall Cemetery. Sold with copied service papers.