TOPIC:

For anyone with deep pockets, the London Medal Co are offering this Naval KSA for £4,500.


Picture courtesy of the LMC

QSA (1) Cape Colony; (R. H. EDGE, CH: WR: H.M.D. DORIS);
KSA (2) (CHIEF WRITER R. EDGE, R.N.);
Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, VR, narrow suspension; (R. H. EDGE, WRITER 1st CL. H.M.S. BACCHANTE)

Robert Henry Edge was born on 8 January 1867 in Portsea. Hampshire, and joined the Royal Navy as a Writer 3rd Class (Portsmouth No.105513) with Duke of Wellington from 10 May 1878. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the battleship Triump, seeing service aboard her between May 1878 and October 1882, during which period she was the flagship in the Pacific. On 21 November 1881, while Triumph was off Chile, an explosion occurred caused by a drying compound called “xerotine siccative”, also called a patent drier. Three men were killed and seven were wounded. She was relieved by Swiftsure in 1882.

Edge was advanced to Writer 2nd Class whilst with Vernon on 9 May 1883, and saw service with the training ship Briton from September to October 1886, and the sloop Penguin from October to November 1886. He was advanced to Writer 1st Class whilst aboard the corvette Bacchante on 7 May 1888, having been aboard her since November 1886, and which time she was with the Reserve Fleet. Edge was still with Bacchant when he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 9 June 1888, however on the occasion of his promotion to Chief Writer on 1 July 1889, he was with Asia, the flagship at Portsmouth.

After service with Orontes between August 1891 and May 1892 he saw service with Serapis between May 1892 and May 1893 and was with the cruiser Barham from May 1893 to June 1896. Around the time of the outbreak of the Boer War, he joined the cruiser Doris in September 1899, she being the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope Station. At least one of Doris's QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns was mounted on an improvised field carriage and used as a field gun with the Naval Brigade on active service in South Africa. It was in action at the Battle of Magersfontein on 11 December 1899, and was known as Joe Chamberlain.

Whilst in South Africa Edge is shown as having transferred for a period to the turret ship Monarch from 11 September to 4 October 1900, when he rejoined Doris.

Doris was paid off at Devonport in May 1901, when, to honour her crew, the men of the other ships in the harbour spontaneously manned yards and sides and gave a salute. Edge had however been posted to the cruiser Gibraltar from 14 April 1901, and then sailed with her for South Africa on her being appointed the flagship at Cape Town where she arrived in September 1901, and just prior to this Edge had transferred back to Monarch on 31 August 1901, thus seeing further service during the Boer War. Rejoining Gibraltar at the Cape in March 1902, he saw further service with her until June 1902 when he transferred to the cruiser Forte, before rejoining Gibraltar in September 1902. Edge sailed for home aboard Monarch in December 1902.

In all some 222 ‘Cape Colony’ clasps were awarded to men from Doris out of the 718 Queen’s South Africa Medals awarded to the ship. In all, according to the book ‘British Battles and Medals’, 31 King’s South Africa Medal’s would be awarded to the Royal Navy, of whom 18 saw service aboard Doris.

Edge ultimately saw shore service with Duke of Wellington between January 1903 and 29 May 1903 when he was pensioned from service. According to his service records he was then appointed to the position of Pensioned Writer 1st Class to the Office of the Admiralty Superintendent of Contract Built Ships with both the Tyne and Thames Districts. He held this position from 14 July 1904 onwards.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (1) Cape Colony (H. J. Tanner, Gunr., R.M.A.);
KSA (2) (2651 Gnr, H. J. Tanner. R.M.A.);
1914 Star (R.M.A. 2651. Gunner H. J. Tanner, R.M. Brigade.);
British War and Victory Medals (R.M.A. 2651 Gr. H. J. Tanner.),

Spink say 32 Queen's South Africa Medals issued to Royal Marines serving with the Army and only 33 King's South Africa medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of which 11 were awarded to Marines serving with Army. Of these only Tanner appears to have earned the 1914 Star making the combination unique.

Harry Tanner was born in Lambeth, London, on 1 March 1867 and worked as a messenger prior to enlisting with the Royal Marines on 1 September 1885. He was sentenced to imprisonment just seven days later starting a run of mixed behaviour which was to keep him from earning the L.S. & G.C.

Posted first to the Recruit Depot at Walmer he transferred into the Royal Marine Artillery as a Gunner on 22 April 1896 and saw his first posting afloat with Conqueror on 5 July 1887 in time for the Jubilee Review. Returning to the R.M.A. Depot in September before being posted to Rupert from 1 October 1887 until disembarking ashore on 1 October 1888. He was next ordered to Invincible in September 1889, returned to the Depot in November 1889 to join Triumph, then in reserve, from 4 February 1890 to 19 April 1892.

Following a period of shore duty at the R.M.A. Depot he next embarked in Royal Arthur on 2 March 1893, seeing service with her on the Pacific Station and remaining with her until ship until 15 October 1899. During this time Tanner was borne on the books of H.M. Ships Imperieuse and Warspite.

Returning to the R.M.A. Depot on 16 October 1899 he was one of the very small number of Royal Marines seconded for service with the Army in South Africa 1900-1902. His service record carries the note '3 February 1900 to 11 April 1902 attendant to Major Barnes on active service in South Africa'. The roll states Tanner received a no bar medal in contradiction of his papers. Given Major Barnes received bars for Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Transvaal it seems logical to suppose that Tanner was eligible for one if not all these bars. On return to England in 1902 he continued to serve at the R.M.A. Depot until he was discharged to shore 'time expired' on 14 September 1906.

Joining the Royal Fleet Reserve on 19 January 1907 Tanner was mobilised on 2 August 1914 to serve with the Royal Marine Brigade at Ostend on 27 August 1914 as part of the British Force stationed there. Allied commanders wanted to deny German Submarines the use of Belgian harbours and also to put pressure on their lines of supply. Tanner was not there for long however being withdrawn on 31 August as more Marines were transferred overseas and in the end the position was abandoned in September.

Ordered to the repair ship Cyclops from December 1914 he saw service with a warship once more aboard Royal Arthur from January 1915 while she was a guardship at Scarpa Flow. Posted in October 1915 to Cyclops II he was Married Mary Ellen Emerson 22nd January 1917 at St. Paul, Upper Holloway, Islington. Remaining with Cyclops II until 21 February 1919 he returned to the Royal Marine Artillery Depot. Demobilised on 28 March 1919 he was discharged again into the Royal Fleet Reserve. Despite receiving consecutive 'very good' assessments for 20 years his chances were again spoiled with the assessments of only 'good' in 1898.