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

Three: Hong Kong Plague Medal 1894, silver (W. Lishman, R.N.); British War Medal (126135 W. R. Lishman, P.O.2 R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (W. R. Lishman, Boatn. H.M. Coast Guard) impressed naming, extremely fine and very rare (3)

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

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See colour plate VIII.

Seven members of the Royal Navy received this well earned commemorative award which was never allowed to be worn by recipients when dressed in uniform. Once the dangers of the plague had passed the grateful citizens of Hong Kong subscribed monies for two types of this demi-official Medal to be commissioned, with some 46 gold Medallions and 605 silver Medals with suspenders and ribbons being presented to military, civilian, and medical personnel who had fought this perilous disease.

On 14 May 1894 five Petty Officers and a Leading Seaman were landed from VICTOR EMMANUEL for duty in the hospitals. On 9 June a further sailor was sent ashore to assist, he was Sick Berth Attendant George Smith serving aboard FIREBRAND who was ‘lent to Civil Hospital for duty’. CO 129/263 page 56, dated 13 May 1894, has the following notation: “We have been greatly assisted by the Blue Jackets of VICTOR EMMANUEL who have been placed at our disposal, and under their direction at the various wharfs the patients or dead bodies are expeditiously transferred to hospitals or the burying ground”.

The five Petty Officers and one Leading Seaman were employed during the whole period of the emergency in a supervisory capacity on duties uniquely described in the China Mail dated 14th June 1894 in this manner:

“In some unaccountable manner one of the most useful brigades employed on special duty in connection with the prevailing epidemic has been almost completely overlooked. We refer to the Naval men, who were employed on the launches which the Sanitary Board use as messengers between the shore, the HYGEIA, Kennedy-town and the new cemetery at Sandy Bay. The brigade consists of five first class Petty Officers and one Leading Seaman from the VICTOR EMMANUEL, named G. FOSTER, G. KILLUPS, W. LISHMAN, R. ROUSE, T. SHIPMAN, and T. TUXELL. They are quartered, after a fashion, at the Sailor's Home, and do as a rule twelve hours' work every day. The duties of these men are sometimes as unpleasant as they are arduous and risky. For instance, they have to assist in nailing up the coffins, landing and shipping them at Lap Sapwan and Sandy Bay, superintending the burning of rubbish at West Point, and in fact anything that their employers set them to. Under the circumstances there can be no doubt that these men should be well fed, supplied with a reasonable amount of stimulant, have a liberal amount of disinfectant served out to them, daily, and be provided with mosquito-curtains to insure a good night's rest. So far, however, from their having been looked after by their officers and local authorities it is said they are only provided with coffee of a very unsatisfactory quality, ladled out of rusty watering-pots or buckets, that they have neither proper beds nor mosquito-curtains, are not disinfected and have no proper allowance of grog, such as robust men of their stamp require when on special duty for a number of hours at a time surely these grievances ought to be remedied...”

William Lishman was born in the village of Stoke Damerel, Near Devonport, Devon, on 4 August 1868. He was a labourer prior to joining the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. GANGES on 15 January 1884, being advanced to Boy 1st Class on 21 January 1885 and next joined IMPREGNABLE (May 1885) and NELSON (September 1885) where he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 4 August 1885. He served in this rank aboard DIAMOND (August 1887) and then to NELSON (October 1887) where he was advanced to Able Seaman on 1 November 1887. He served as an Able Seaman aboard CAMBRIDGE (January 1889), ROYAL ADELAIDE (March 1889), VIVID (January 1890), CAMBRIDGE (June 1892), VIVID I (October 1892), BRITANNIA (October 1892), VIVID I (November 1892), and VICTOR EMMANUEL (December 1892).

During service in VICTOR EMMANUEL on the China Station he was one of a small party of seven naval ratings landed for service in Hong Kong during the plague of 1894. The work undertaken by this ‘sanitation party’ was totally disproportionate to the party's size. For these services he, and the other naval ratings, received the Hong Kong Plague Medal. Whilst aboard VICTOR EMMANUEL he was advanced to Seaman on 10 May 1893 and to Petty Officer 2nd Class on 6 February 1895. On his return to England he joined VIVID I (October 1895), BLACK PRINCE (January 1896), VIVID I (April 1896), CAMBRIDGE (April 1896), ALEXANDRIA (June 1896), and WEYMOUTH (August 1896). Whilst serving in the latter vessel he was made a Boatman and lent for service in the Coast Guard at Fowey and Causand, and advanced to Commissioned Boatman. He next served in this rate at Kimmeridge (November 1902), and Southern District (June 1903) where he was advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class (Coast Guard) on 1 April 1910.

He was pensioned ashore on 11 May 1911, having been awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal on 14 October 1901 whilst serving with the Coast Guard. He joined the Royal Fleet Reserve at Portsmouth on 14 May 1910 and was mobilised on 2 August 1914 to serve with the Coast Guard, as a Petty Officer 2nd Class, at Berry Head in the Southern District. He later transferred to PRESIDENT IV for service at Brixham on 1 October 1916, and to the Western District for Service at Hurtstone Point on 7 December 1916. He continued to serve at this station until demobilised on 12 June 1919.