Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg (151569 A-B: T. Mullane, H.M.S. Doris) surname partially officially corrected, polished, good very fine £240-£280

Timothy Mullane was born in Killeagh, co. Cork, on 18 March 1878, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 1 September 1894, serving in H.M.S. Impregnable. He transferred to H.M.S. Dreadnought on 25 February 1896, and was advanced Ordinary Seaman on 18 March of that year. He joined H.M.S. Doris on 18 November 1897, was advanced Able Seaman on 28 March 1898, and served in her during the Boer War, where Doris provided men to the first Naval Brigade to be landed. Mullane landed at Simonstown on 28 November 1899, and it appears that he formed part of the crew serving ‘Little Bobs’, one of the Brigade’s two 4.7in Naval Guns. He was admitted to Hospital at Simonstown ‘seriously ill’ on 27 March 1900, most likely suffering from either Typhus or Dysentery, and for his services in South Africa was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony and Paardeberg, one of only 10 medals with this clasp combination awarded to the Naval Brigade.

Mullane was advanced Leading Seaman on 1 April 1904, whilst borne on the books of H.M.S. Tenidos, and transferred to H.M.S. Caesar on 6 March 1905. He was serving in the latter ship when she was involved in a collision in the English Channel, when Caesar collided with and sank the barque Afghanistan off Dungerness on 3 June 1905. He was shore pensioned on 9 April 1908, and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day.

Mullane was recalled for service following the outbreak of the Great War, and was posted to H.M.S. Ocean. He served in her during the early part of the Dardanelles campaign, and was on board when Ocean struck a mine and sank in Morto Bay, Cape Helles, on 18 March 1915. After subsequent service in H.M.S. Albion, Vivid, and Defiance, he joined the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Laurentic on 1 November 1916, and was killed in action when she struck two mines off Lough Swilly, Ireland, on 25 January 1917. She sank within the hour, with the loss of 354 lives. Mullane is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

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