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Some 142 medals to HMS Beagle.


From the next C&T Auction

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (Sub. Lt. H. S. Bland, H.M.S. Beagle.) large impressed naming,

Horatio Skene Bland was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, on 7 April 1880, the son of Captain Horation Bland, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, and was educated at HMS Britannia. He was appointed Midshipman on 15 November 1896, and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on 15 May 1900. He served in HMS Beagle during the Boer War, and was drowned in the act of landing at Seal Island, Mossel Bay, Cape Colony, on 29 September 1901. He is buried in Mossel Bay Cemetery, South Africa.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (A. J. Benham, Lg. Sto. 1Cl., HMS Beagle.);
1914-15 Star (149822, A. J. Benham, S.P.O., R.N.);
BWM 1914-20 (149822 A. J. Benham. S.P.O. R.M. [sic]);
Victory Medal 1914-19 (149822 A. J. Benham. S.P.O. R.N.)

Arthur James Benham was born in Petersfield, Hampshire, on 20 April 1870 and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Second Class on 27 June 1889. Advanced Leading Stoker First Class on 1 April 1901, he served in HMS Beagle from 21 May 1901 to 30 July 1904, and was advanced Stoker Petty Officer on 1 July 1906.

Shore pensioned on 23 June 1911, he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day, but was recalled for War service, and served during the Great War in a variety of ships and shore based establishments.

He was finally released on 19 March 1919.

He did not qualify for a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (2) Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 (A. E. Hardy, A.B., H.M.S. Beagle.) large impressed naming

127 medals issued to Beagle, mostly without clasp but 17 with these two clasps. Confirmed on roll.

Sold for a hammer price of £480. Totals (inc VAT for UK only): £618. R12,000. Au$1,100. Can$1,010. US$820

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

E&W Africa 1887 (1) Sierra Leone 1898-99 (174856 H. Garrett, A.B. H.M.S. Fox.) naming officially impressed in a slightly later style;
QSA (0) (174856 H. Garrett, A.B. H.M.S. Beagle.) naming officially impressed in a slightly later style;
1914-15 Star (174586, H. Garrett, A.B. R.N.);
British War and Victory Medals (174865 H. Garrett. L.S. R.N.)

MID London Gazette 8 March 1918: ‘for services in Destroyer and Torpedo Boat Flotillas during the period ending 31st December, 1917.’

Hugh Garrett was born in 1877 or 1878, at Colchester, Essex. He commenced naval service as Boy 2 Class, HMS Impregnable, on 28 July 1893, and advanced to Boy 1 Class, on 27 September 1894. On 24 February 1896, he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman, HMS Excellent. He advanced to Able Seaman, HMS Fox on 4 July 1897.

He joined HMS Beagle as A.B. on 21 May 1901 and left her on 29 July 1904.

He also served in HMS Hecla from 29 January 1907 to 2 June 1909. It was not until 1 April 1918 that he advanced to Leading Seaman, having joined the Royal Fleet Reserve on 19 February 1918. He was serving in HMS Falcon, on 1 April 1918, on convoy duty in the North Sea, when she was accidentally rammed and sunk by the armed trawler HMS John Fitzgerald. His name appears in the London Gazette of 8 March 1918 (repeated in Admiralty Weekly Orders No 866 of 14 March) amongst those “Mentioned” for War Service.

He continued to serve until demobilized on 20 April 1920. His Good Conduct Badges were deprived and restored at regular intervals and although he had achieved three by 22 August 1909, some were again deprived and were not fully restored until 8 January 1914. There is no record to show that he was considered for an LS&GC medal. In the Sierra Leone Expedition the men of HMS Fox were “Employed in the expedition up Bumpé River in Countess of Derby on the 11-14 May 1898.” The Countess of Derby was a Colonial Steamer which probably acted as the transport for the Naval Brigade up the river. Garrett was amongst 77 men from HMS Fox who took part in this expedition led by Lieutenant Fred. K. C. Gibbons.

Note: The medal rolls note that a duplicate East and West Africa Medal, and duplicate QSA were sent to Garrett at HMS Victory in June 1918, most probably in replacement of the originals lost during the Great War in the sinking of HMS Falcon.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

E&W Africa 1887 (1) Gambia 1894 (P. Tregillis. Ord. HMS Raleigh.);
QSA (0) (P. W. Tregillis, P.O. 1 Cl., HMS Beagle.);
1914-15 Star (Gnr. P. W. Tregillis, R.N.);
BWM and VM (Ch. Gnr. P. W. Tregillis, R.N.).

Percy William Tregillis was born in Hastings, Sussex, on 16 December 1875, and commenced naval service on 15 September 1891, as Boy Second Class, HMS St. Vincent. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class on 24 November 1892, briefly transferring to HMS Invincible in March 1893, prior to joining HMS Raleigh on 15 April 1893. He was advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 16 December 1893, and to Able Seaman on 26 January 1895. In this ship he took part in the campaign off the Gambia in 1894. He joined HMS Excellent in April 1895 to train as a Seaman Gunner, qualifying on 11 September 1895. From there he joined HMS Vernon, for a few months, before serving in HMS Royal Oak from January to November 1896, and then in HMS Prince George from 26 November 1896 to 26 June 1899, advancing to Leading Seaman on 2 April 1899. On 27 June 1899 he returned to HMS Excellent remaining there until 23 February 1901, undergoing further gunnery courses for, on 2 December 1900, he advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class and on 4 April 1901, qualified as a Gunnery Instructor.

On 21 May 1901 he joined HMS Beagle and was advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class on 21 October 1901. He remained in her until 4 September 1902, qualifying in her for the Queen's South Africa Medal.

A year later, on 29 October 1903, was promoted to Acting Gunner and appointed to HMS Centurion on the China Station on 4 November 1903. He was in receipt of two Good Conduct Badges but was promoted before he had sufficient time to qualify for the third, or for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He then went to HMS Virago in January 1905, also on the China Station, before returning Home to HMS Leviathan in April 1907 ("for instructional purposes"), HMS Excellent in August 1909 ("for duty with Tenders") and HMS Ganges in March 1911 ("for instructional duties") at the Boys' Training Establishment. In August 1912 he was lent to the newly formed Royal Australian Navy in HMS Encounter, arriving home in November 1916, before joining HMS Boxer in February 1917, and HMS Glory in November of that year. On 13 September 1918 he was promoted to Chief Gunner and in 1919 to Commissioned Gunner with the same seniority date. In September 1919 he was appointed to HMS Hermione and in August 1920 joined HMS Philomel on loan to the Royal New Zealand Navy. On 22 August 1922, he was promoted to Lieutenant, returning to the Royal Navy before being placed on the retired list on 16 December 1925, his 50th birthday. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on the Retired List on 12 August 1930, and died on 11 September 1937, aged 62.