Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (J. Warren, A.B. H.M.S. Turquoise.) light contact marks, very fine £160-£200

Provenance: Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997.

John Warren was born in Stonehouse, Devon, 24 October 1865. He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Lion, 2 September 1881 when 15 years of age. Warren advanced to Boy 1st Class on 2 August 1882 and served in this rate aboard Minotaur (February 1883) and advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 24 October 1883. He next joined Turquoise (May 1884) and was advanced to Able Seaman on 8 June 1885 and whilst in this ship took part in the Burma Campaign.

As an Able Seaman he subsequently served aboard the following ships and shore bases: Royal Adelaide (October 1886), Duke of Wellington (February 1887), Royal Adelaide (August 1887), Clyde (October 1887), Duncan (March 1888), Wildfire (April 1889), Australia (November 1889), and Vivid I (June 1893). Whilst in Vivid I he elected to transfer to the Regulating Branch and was advanced to Ship's Corporal 2nd Class on 18 March 1895. In this rate he next joined Empress of India (May 1895), Warspite (August 1895), Vivid I (June 1896), and Ramilles (November 1896). He was advanced to Ship's Corporal 1st Class on 13 March 1897 prior to joining Vivid I (August 1897), and was invalided from the service on 5 November 1897 following a period in Plymouth Naval Hospital. Character assessments of ‘indifferent’, ‘fair’, and ‘good’ were compounded by time in goal and cells, and deprived him of any chance of a L.S. & G.C. medal. His fourteen years adult service was however recognised by the award of a Naval Pension.