The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 2)

Five: India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Richd. F. Wiley, Clerk “Sphinx”); China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Canton 1857; Crimea 1854-55, 1 clasp, Sebastopol; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, fitted with replacement Crimea suspension; Baltic 1854-55, the last four unnamed as issued, the group mounted on two contemporary brooch buckle bars, as worn in the order listed, toned, good very fine and better (5)

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

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Richard Francis Wily was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, and joined the service aged 16 years aboard H.M.S. KITE as a Clerk’s Assistant in December 1847. After passing through H.M.Ships CUCKOO and HECATE he was appointed to SPHINX as an unpassed Clerk on 2 February 1850. He became a Passed Clerk on 2 November 1852 before being sent to H.M.S. ST JEAN D’ACRE which participated in the Baltic and Crimean campaigns. On 1 March 1857 he received promotion to the rank of Assistant Paymaster in Charge when joining HESPER, where he earned the 2nd China War medal for Canton 1857. On 19 February 1858 he was transferred on the China station to INFLEXIBLE with the rank of Acting Paymaster, and later to SCOUT where he was promoted to Paymaster on 30 January 1861. He retired in the rank of Paymaster in Chief on 2 February 1886.