Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Staff Surgeon J. E. Penn, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (Surgn., R.N., H.M.S. Woodlark); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Surgeon, R.N., H.M.S. Woodlark); East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Benin 1897 (St. Surgeon, H.M.S. Philomel); Khedive’s Star 1884-6, good very fine and a scarce combination of awards (4) £700-900

John Evans Penn was appointed a Surgeon, R.N. in February 1883 and served in that capacity aboard H.M.S. Woodlark in the naval and military operations in the Eastern Sudan at Suakin 1884-85 (Medal and Khedive’s Star). He was similarly employed in the Burma operations of 1885-87, when he was landed from the Woodlark for service in the Naval Brigade, and became one of a little over 50 of that ship’s crew to qualify for the appropriate Medal and clasp. Further active service followed off Zanzibar, when as Staff Surgeon of the Philomel he was present at the bombardment of the Sultan’s palace on 27 August 1896, and in the Benin operations of 1897, when he was landed for service in the Naval Brigade despatched to punish the King of Benin for the massacre of the earlier political expedition. He was subsequently present at the capture of Benin City on 18 February 1897 and was awarded the appropriate Medal and clasp. Penn was placed on the Retired List as a Staff Surgeon later in the same year.