Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine 4-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Boatswain Robert Allen, Royal Navy, which includes the rare clasp for the capture of the French frigate Néréide by H.M.S. Phoebe in December 1797

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 4 clasps, 1 June 1794 [538], 23 June 1795 [177], Phoebe 21 Decr 1797 [5], 7 July Boat Service 1809 [34](Robt. Allen.) with a length of original ribbon, nearly extremely fine £10000-12000

Provenance: Sotheby, 29 July 1924, first two clasps only.

The Message roll confirms Robert Allen for all four actions, as Quarter Gunner aboard Pegasus at the 1st June 1794, as Midshipman [the old rating mid-ship-man) aboard Aquilon at Bridport’s action on 23rd June 1795, as Yeoman of the Sheets in Phoebe’s action with the Néréide in 1797, and in the same rate in Bellerophon’s boats in the attack on a Russian flotilla in July 1809. Previous published rolls show three entries for Robert Allen, one for the first two clasps, and separate entries for the last two clasps; however, the reference numbers allocated against Allen’s claims show beyond doubt that they all refer to the same man, viz ‘S/582’ against the first clasp and ‘S/582 & Q/24’ against the three subsequent clasps. He is therefore the only man of this name on the medal roll. Allen’s medal first came to the market in 1924 as a two-clasp medal, ‘1 June 1794’ and 23rd June 1795’, and has since been professionally reconstructed with the additional two clasps that he is properly entitled to.

H.M.S. Pegasus was commanded by Captain Robert Barlow, R.N., at the ‘Glorious First of June’ and acted as a repeating ship for Admiral Howe’s signals. After the action Barlow was upgraded to the frigate Aquilon as a reward for his services, taking with him, amongst others, his Quarter Gunner Robert Allen, who joined on 23 July 1794, and subsequently took part in Admiral Bridport’s action on 17 June 1795.

When, in October 1795, Barlow was given command of the newly commissioned frigate Phoebe, Robert Allen followed his captain and was now rated Yeoman of the Sheets. In 1797 Phoebe was off Brest as part of an inshore squadron of frigates under Sir Edward Pellew in Indefatigable. On 21 December 1797 Phoebe captured the French 36-gun Néréide, Captain Antoine Canon. Phoebe sighted the Néréide at 10am; the pursuit started at 11:30am and ended at 10:45pm with Néréide's surrender. During the chase Néréide fired her stern guns at Phoebe and the two vessels exchanged broadsides shortly before the Néréide surrendered. Phoebe lost three men killed and 10 wounded; Néréide lost 20 men killed and 55 wounded.

Robert Allen was discharged from Phoebe to join the 36-gun frigate Glenmore (Captain George Duff - later killed at Trafalgar in the Mars), per Order of Admiral Kingsmill, dated 18 August 1800, and served in her as Acting Boatswain until 1 January 1803, when he was discharged to Boadicea as Boatswain. He joined the mighty Bellerophon on 28 May 1806, which ship, in 1809, formed part of a squadron commanded by Captain Thomas Byam Martin of H.M.S. Implacable. On 7 July they were off Percola Point on the south coast of Finland when a flotilla of eight Russian gunboats was sighted. Captain T. B. Martin acted with decision as described in his own words in the following extract from the despatch published in the London Gazette of 1st-5th August 1809:

‘The position taken by the Russian Flotilla under Percola Point, seemed so much like a defiance, that I considered something was necessary to be done, in order to impress these strangers with the sense of respect and fear, which His Majesty’s other enemies are accustomed to show the British Flag; I therefore determined to gratify the anxious wish of Lieutenant Hawkey to lead the boats of the ships named in the margin [Implacable, Bellerophon, Melpomene, and Prometheus - 17 boats in all with 270 officers and men] which were assembled by nine o’clock last night, and proceeded with an irresistible zeal and intrepidity towards the enemy, who had the advantage of local knowledge, to take a position of extraordinary strength within two rocks, serving as a cover to their wings, and from whence they could pour a destructive fire upon our boats, which, notwithstanding, advanced with perfect coolness, and never fired a gun until actually touching the enemy, when they boarded sword in hand, and carried all before them.

‘I believe a more brilliant achievement does not grace the record of our Naval History; each officer was impatient to be the leader in the attack, and each man zealous to emulate their noble example, and the most complete success has been the consequence of such determined bravery...’

Lieutenant Hawkey, after taking one gunboat, was killed by grapeshot whilst boarding another and his command was assumed by Lieutenant Charles Allen of the Bellerophon. Of eight gunboats, six were captured, one was sunk and one escaped. All 12 merchantmen with provisions for the Russian army were captured together with a large armed ship that was burnt; the other vessels were safely brought out.

Robert Allen was discharged from Bellerophon in February 1813, and thereafter served aboard the Scarborough until July 1820, when he joined the Trafalgar on the 13th of that month. This ship was renamed Camperdown in February 1825 and Allen continued in her as Boatswain until 30 June 1830 when he was finally discharged from the service. Sold with copied research including numerous entries from ship’s books which trace Allen’s continuous service from Pegasus through to his final discharge from Camperdown.