Orders, Decorations and Medals

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Wm. Skinner. Boy. “Salamander”) nearly very fine £160-200

William Skinner was born at Dawlish, Devon, on 18 June 1833, and entered the navy aboard H.M.S. San Joseph on 21 February 1848. He joined Salamander in August 1850 and went on to serve in the Burmese War at the capture of Martaban (Medal and clasp). He served in the Baltic as an A.B. aboard the Exmouth (Medal) and at Taku Forts in 1858 as a Leading Seaman aboard the Calcutta (Medal and clasp). Advanced to Gunner’s Mate aboard Curlew in August 1860, he became Acting Gunner in Triton in September 1864, and gained Warrant rank of Gunner in October 1866. Whist serving aboard the gunboat Leven he was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s bronze medal (Case No. 18448) for an incident at Hankow, China, on 14 October 1869. Skinner was shore pensioned in 1881 and died on 3 November 1893. Sold with copied service record.