The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 1)

Five: Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; Crimea 1854-55, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; Indian Mutiny 1857-58, 1 clasp, Lucknow (Wm. Sloan, A.B. Shannon); Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (Chf. Py. Offr., H.M.S. Simoom. 73-74); Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed and fitted with straight bar suspension, minor contact wear, generally good very fine and a rare group (5)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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William Sloan was born at Bere Island, Cork, on 11 May 1834. He joined the service as a prime seaman and was immediately rated as an A.B. aboard H.M.S. QUEEN in September 1853 for a three year commission. He was drafted to H.M.S. SHANNON on 16 August 1856, serving as an A.B. until paid off in January 1859. However, after he had returned aboard SHANNON from Naval Brigade duty he misbehaved and was sent to the House of Correction at Calcutta on 21 August 1858, rejoining his vessel on 12 September, surprisingly without being disrated to Ordinary Seaman. He subsequently served as A.B. aboard DORIS (1859-63), completing his time there as a Petty Officer, Captain of the Mizzen Top, and was next drafted to CANOPUS where he was advanced to 2nd Captain of the Fore Top on 16 May 1863, just three days before misbehaving yet again and being deprived of his only Good Conduct Badge. His next Commanding Officer aboard ALERT wrote him up as a “Smart active man and an excellent Petty Officer - most deserving” when his ship was recommissioned in October 1865. He served six years in ALERT during which time he was advanced to Bosun’s Mate and earned two Good Conduct Badges, but then the person writing up his personal Parchment Certificate stated bluntley - “Ran 1868”. In fact he had not deserted at all but had been drafted to H.M.S. LION, via CANOPUS, on 31 May 1868, and then to AGINCOURT on 11 June 1869 as a Bosun’s Mate until paid off on 31 August 1871. He was then drafted to the ‘Reserve’ at Sheerness as a Chief Petty Officer, Chief Captain of the Forecastle, and his last vessel was SIMOOM in which he earned his Ashantee reward. He was pensioned to shore on 27 April 1874 without earning his L.S. & G.C. medal. Sold with two original parchment Certificates of Service.