Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Pair: Gunner J. Pine, Royal Navy

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (Gunner); St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (2)

China 1842 (John Pine, H.M.S. Belleisle) edge nicks, otherwise nearly extremely fine £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee.

View
Collection

John Pine, Snr., who is believed to have been born at Topsham, Devon circa 1780, was “pressed” for service aboard H.M.S. Mermaid in February 1799, a commission that lasted until July 1802, when he was “paid off”. But in May 1807, as a volunteer, he rejoined the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman aboard the Procris, in which ship he attained rapid promotion to Gunner, R.N., in May 1810. One year on, however, he was hospitalised at Madras, thereby missing his ship’s part in the Java operations and being superceded by an Acting Gunner. As it transpired, Pine was successful in obtaining another appointment as a Gunner aboard the ex-French frigate Piedmontaise in December 1811, and went on to enjoy several other seagoing appointments prior to joining the Implacable in February 1839, in which latter ship he participated in the Syria operations of 1840. He appears to have come ashore for a final time in April 1846, by which stage he must have been aged at least 64 years.

John Pine, Jnr., was born at Deptford, Kent in March 1820, the son of the aforementioned Gunner J. Pine, R.N., and himself entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in July 1835. He subsequently witnessed active service as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Belleisle off China during the First Opium War, and was “paid off” from that ship in September 1843.