Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. Including a superb collection of medals to the King’s German Legion, Police Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin and a small collection of medals to the Irish Guards

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Ava (Lieut. J. Grote.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, engraved correction to last two letters of surname, otherwise very fine £800-1000

Joseph Grote was born on 5 February 1801, and entered the Royal Navy in April 1814 on board the Eurotas, in which ship, after conveying the Duc de Berri to Cherbourg, and Admiral Fleeming to Gibraltar, he served, until December 1815, on the Home station, and was employed for some time in that year in guarding Napoleon Buonaparte during his detention at Plymouth. He was subsequently employed as Master’s Mate and Midshipman on various vessels on the West India, Cork, and Newfoundland stations. For his exertions on the occasion of the wreck of the Drake on 23 June 1822, Mr Grote, who was left the senior surviving officer, had the satisfaction to be presented with a commission as Lieutenant, appointing him to the Niemen on the Halifax station.

In October 1824 he joined the Boadicea, bearing the broad pendant of Sir James Brisbane in the East Indies, where, from July 1825, until the cessation of hostilities, he took an active part in the Burmese War. He was employed in command, during that period, of a division of boats on the river Irawaddy, being five months in the ship’s pinnace without once sleeping out of her, and 800 miles away from the ship (Medal with clasp).