British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Arctic Medal 1875-76 (D. Girard, A.B. H.M.S. Discovery) extremely fine £2500-3000

Daniel Girard was born in Guernsey on 10 June 1849, and entered the Royal Navy on 10 June 1867. He joined the Discovery on 17 April 1875 and proceeded to the Arctic the following July. In the spring of 1876, Girard was a member of the party of 12 men under Lieutenant Robert H. Archer which left Discovery in the sledges Westward Ho! and Endeavour on 8 April, bound for Lady Franklin Bay. He appears to have returned to the Discovery on 22 April in the sledge Endeavour and, under Sub-Lieutenant Crawford Conybeare, with three other men, left again on 22 May bound for the Alert, some 75 miles away. They reached the ship on 1 June, whereupon Girard was lent to Alert whilst Conybeare continued on to the relief of the Northern Division. He remained with Alert until 12 August, when he returned to Discovery. Girard was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class in September 1787 and received his Arctic medal in the same month.