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

Three: East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Witu August 1893 (F. J. Lilly, Surgn. R.N., H.M.S. Blanche); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Staff-Surg: F. J. Lilly, R.N. H.M.S. Forte); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Gambia (Fleet Surgeon F. J. Lilly, R.N.) good very fine and a scarce group (3)

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

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Only 82 Gambia clasps issued to the Royal Navy.

Frederick Lilly was born on 16 November 1858, and joined the service at Haslar Hospital as a Surgeon on 11 February 1884. He was appointed to H.M. Ships RIFLEMAN (1885-89), and BLANCHE (1891-94). Whilst in BLANCHE he accompanied Consul General Rennell Rodd, C.M.G., and Commander G. R. Lindley, R.N., with an escort of 25 men to Witu in July 1893 to take over the district from the Imperial British East Africa Company, and to confer with the turbulent Chief Fumo Omari. In August 1893 he was appointed Medical Officer in Charge of the Naval Brigade landed from H.M. Ships BLANCHE, SWALLOW and SPARROW, and of Zanzibari and Sudanese troops sent to punish Chief Fumo Omari who was terrorising the surrounding country. He was present at the engagements Pumwani and Jongeni from 7 to 13 August. He was Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 12 December 1893 ‘Surgeon Lilly, who attended to the wounded under a heavy fire’, and also in the Foreign Office Despatch from Mr Rennell Rodd to the Earl of Rosebury 11/19 August 1893.

He was promoted to Staff Surgeon on 11 February 1896, and next appointed to MILDURA (April 1897) for service on the Australian Station and the Protection of Floating Trade. He was appointed Staff Surgeon of FORTE in the Boer War, and was landed with the force from the Cape Squadron for the defence of Durban in November 1899, and was present at the blockading of Delagoa Bay. He was appointed Medical Officer in Charge of Captain E. P. Jones's Naval Brigade attached to the Natal Field Force and served with the Ladysmith Relief Column. He was present at the battles of Colenso 15 February 1899, and at Spion Kop, Vaalkrantz, Hart’s Hill, Picket’s Hill, and Elandslaagte on 10 April 1900. He was Mentioned in Despatches and promoted to Fleet Surgeon ‘for services in the South African War’ on 21 October 1900.

He next served as Fleet Surgeon of DORIS (Flagship) in the Gambia punitive Expedition in January 1901 where he was placed in overall Command of the Base Hospital at Tendeba, and to assist with the military sick and wounded in the Colonial Hospital at Bathurst. For his services in Gambia he was Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 10 September 1901. He retired with the rank of Surgeon General on 12 November 1912. He wrote the Chapter on the ‘Relief of Ladysmith’ (Part VII) in the book Naval Brigades in the South African War, published in 1901.