Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1860 to 1861 (Richd. H Griffin, A.B., H.M.S. Pelorus) nearly extremely fine £500-£600 £500-£600

Richard Henry Griffin was born at Devonport, Devon, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. St George in June 1852. He joined Queen in March 1853, was advanced to Boy 1st Class on 29 January 1855, and in this ship earned the Crimea medal with Sebastopol clasp. He next joined Exmouth as Ordinary Seaman in August 1856, and Pelorus as Able Seaman in July 1857, earning the New Zealand medal in this ship during the campaigns of 1860 and 1861. He left Pelorus for Indus in December 1862, moved to Orontes in May 1863, joined Argus in October 1865 as Quarter Master, then to Implacable in December 1869, and finally to Reindeer from July 1871 to June 1872 when he was discharged to shore.