Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Rear-Admiral R. A. O. Brown, Royal Navy, who distinguished himself in the boats of Hornet during the China Wars and later commanded the Vigilant in the Abyssinian Expedtions

China 1857-60, 3 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1860, unnamed as issued, fitted with silver ribbon buckle; Abyssinia 1867 (Comr. R. A. O. Brown H.M.S. Vigilant) extremely fine (2) £1200-1500

Ralph Abercrombie Otho Brown was born on 10 December 1835 and entered the Royal Navy in December 1849. Having passed his examination in seamanship he was appointed Mate to the Hornet on 27 December 1855, in which month he was praised for gallantry in the expedition to De Castries Bay, Gulf of Tartary, on the Pacific coast of Russia. Continuing as Mate and Acting Lieutenant in the Hornet, he was present in that vessel in the operations on the coast of China, 1857-60, and distinguished himself on several occasions. On 4 January 1857 he commanded Hornet’s Pinnace in an engagement with Chinese war junks off Hamilton Creek, Canton River. On 11 February he commanded the Hornet’s Gun Boat in action with Mandarin junks in the Canton River and was reported for his gallantry in having ‘volunteered to bring out a captured junk after action with Hornet’.

He received the rank of Acting Lieutenant on 25 May 1857, as a reward for the gallant way in which, during the flotilla operations in the Escape Creek of the Canton River, when 40 war junks were captured or destroyed, he dashed in, in command of Hornet’s pinnace, unsupported by the other boats, which she had distanced, against three heavily armed junks, which struck to him. These junks formed part of 10 which had divided from the main body and, pursued by 4 pinnaces under Captain Forsyth, were endeavouring to effect their escape up a branch of the creek (London Gazette 1857, pp. 2683-4 refers).

Brown was confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant on 9 July 1857, and subsequently took part in the expedition against the Braves, near Canton, in January 1859. He joined Sphinx in October 1859 and was present at the capture of the Taku Forts in the following year (Medal with 3 clasps). Upon promotion to Commander on 16 September 1862, Brown was appointed to Ringdove and, in May 1866, to Vigilant, in which ship he took part in the Abyssinian Expedition of 1867 (Medal).

In the late summer of 1868, as soon as she could be spared from service with the Abyssinian Expedition, the Vigilant was sent, with three vessels of the Bombay Marine, to deal with the troublesome chief, Mahomet ben Kuleef, of Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, and with his neighbours and allies, who had greatly oppressed Indian traders. Mahomet ben Kuleef’s fort, war-vessels and guns were destroyed after a two days’ bombardment.

Brown was promoted to Captain on 4 December 1868, retired on 1 October 1873, and was advanced to Retired Rear-Admiral on 9 March 1886.