Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Perak (T. W. Scott, P.O.1 Cl., H.M.S. “Charybdis”) with silver pin-backed bar on ribbon, virtually extremely fine £1500-2000

Thomas William Scott was born in Bradfield, Essex on 8 January 1843. He entered the Royal Navy in July 1859 as a Boy 1st Class at Pembroke. He served on the Charybdis, July 1860-June 1865, being advanced to Ordinary Seaman in January 1863 and to Able Seaman in January 1864. After serving on Excellent, June 1865-January 1867, he returned to the Charybdis, January 1867-August 1871, being advanced to Leading Seaman in May 1871. After service on Excellent and Minotaur, August 1871-September 1872, he returned once more to Charybdis, September 1873-May 1877, being promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 1 October 1873 and swiftly to P.O. 1st Class on 17 October 1873. As such, he saw action on and off the coast of Perak, for which he was awarded the I.G.S. Medal with clasp. After further service on Tamar, the Duke of Wellington and Excellent.

He was pensioned ashore on 28 September 1878.

Sold with three hand-written personal journals (thick exercise books), covering the period July 1867-May 1869; June 1869-December 1870, and June 1876-April 1877, all written whilst serving on H.M.S. Charybdis on the East Indies, Pacific, Australian and China stations. The journals give very detailed accounts of his travels aboard the ship and the sights seen and provide a valuable insight into the day-to-day life of a Petty Officer in the Victorian navy, when ‘Britannia ruled the Waves’.

H.M.S. Charybdis was a 21 gun wooden screw-driven corvette of 2,187 tons, launched at Chatham Dockyard on 1 June 1859. Scott served on the ship soon after commissioning, sailing to the East Indies and Pacific, November 1860-June 1865. He was aboard her again on her second tour to Australia and the Pacific, January 1867-August 1871, and again whilst on the China Station, September 1873-May 1877. After completing its service on the China Station in November 1880, the vessel was lent to the Canadian Government as a Training Ship in 1881 but was found to be unsuitable and was returned to the Royal Navy in August 1882 who then disposed of her in 1884.