Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Boatswain’s Mate William Breen, Royal Navy

China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Canton 1857, unnamed as issued; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Wm. Breen Boatsns. Mate. H.M.S. Ganges. 20 Yrs.) engraved naming, scarce variety with years on edge, very fine (2) £600-£700

Listed in The Naval Long Service Medals by Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris, as one of 38 known examples of narrow suspension engraved L.S. & G.C. medals with ‘Yrs’ on edge.

William Breen was born at Modbury, Devon, on 9 December 1835. He entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class on 6 February 1855, aboard the Impregnable, aged 20. Rated Ordinary Seaman 1st Class on 1 March 1857, and Able Seaman on 2 September 1858, aboard H.M.S. Nankin, seeing service in the Canton operations of 1857 (Medal with clasp). Advanced to Leading Seaman on 1 January 1865, aboard the Iron Clad Screw Sloop Research, he signed for continuous service while in Narcissus in April 1865, and advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class on 10 October 1872. He subsequently joined Royal Adelaide, 25 July 1874, and Ganges, 15 September 1874, where he received his L.S. & G.C. medal on 6 May 1875. Discharged to shore pension on 31 May 1875, he re-entered the service as Able Seaman aboard the Training Ship Indus, 22 July 1877, serving aboard this ship until joining Vivid on 1 October 1891, from where he was finally discharged on 31 May 1895, after almost 38 years service.