Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Mr. John Spencer Wood, Master of the City of Lincoln

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Mr. J. S. Wood, “City of Lincoln”); Khedive’s Star, 1882, unnamed, good very fine (2) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals to the Merchant Navy.

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Only Masters of Transports received the 1882 Medal, making them unique to each of the 105 vessels employed.

John Spencer Wood, who was born in Middlesex in 1849 and was certificated as a 2nd Mate in February 1871, was appointed 1st Mate of the City of Lincoln in February 1882 and sailed in her for three voyages to the United States before he was appointed her Master that August. Shortly thereafter, his command was chartered by the government as ‘Transport No. 24’ for the conflict in Egypt, in which capacity she embarked ‘I’ Battery, Royal Field Artillery of the 2nd Brigade in the Royal Albert Docks. The unit, which comprised eight officers, 202 other ranks, six 16-pounder guns and 150 horses, was subsequently engaged at Tel-el-Kebir, Wood having safely delivered his charges to Alexandria on 22 August. Remaining Master of the City of Lincoln until 1883, when she appears to have run aground during March-April off Deal, Wood appears to have come ashore in 1888; with copied research.