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Medals to HMS Philomel 7 years 4 months ago #49885

  • djb
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Group to Commander Charles Richard Newdigate Burne, of HMS Philomel, Royal Navy, author of 'With the Naval Brigade in Natal'.


Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

QSA (6) CC TH OFS RoL Tr LN (Lieut. C. R. W. Burne, R.N.);
Coronation Medal 1902, in silver;
Chile, Order of Merit, Fifth Class breast badge

MiD LG 8 February 1901 (named in General Redvers Buller’s despatch)

Commander Charles Richard Newdigate Burne entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1886, became Midshipman in 1889, Sub-Lieutenant in 1893 and then Lieutenant in August 1894. He initially commanded sailing cutters along the Newfoundland coast in 1895, for protection of Treaty obligations (for which he received official thanks); and was present at Crete during the insurrection in 1898.

Upon the outbreak of war in South Africa in 1899 he was appointed Naval Transport Officer at Southampton, leaving for Cape Town on 4 November. He served for a time in H.M.S. Doris and Philomel at Durban, Natal, but later landed for active service with the Naval Brigade (or Buller’s Natal Field Force) on 6 December that year, where he was placed in command of two naval 12 pounder guns of H.M.S. Terrible and Tartar. As recorded in his personal journal, which later became the famous book ‘With the Naval Brigade in Natal’ he was present in action during many of the most significant engagements against Boer forces in Natal, including the actions at Colenso (15 December 1899), on the River Tugela including Spion Kop (a photo of which exists in his book showing Burne’s gun team in action) & Vaal Krantz (17 to 27 January 1900). At this latter action, Lieutenant Burne’s gun came under heavy shell fire, as recorded in ‘The Commission of H.M.S. Terrible 1898-1902’ by George Crowe:

‘...even the general staff were not exempt from a visitation of Boer shell. One 6-inch shell struck the ground twenty yards in front of Lieutenant Burne’s right i2-pounder, then ricocheted, unexploded, over their heads, covering the crew with dirt, and twice afterwards these two guns’crews had narrow escapes.’

Lieutenant Burne was also present during the relief of Ladysmith (28 February 1900), further operations in Northern Natal and Transvaal, including Laing’s Nek (May - September 1900). He was mentioned in despatches twice for gallant and meritorious services during the Boer War, and was subsequently noted for early promotion, which saw him appointed to the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert in August 1900 (and promoted to Commander for his services in South Africa). Although we have no further information regarding his secondment, Commander Burne is also shown in 1914 as ‘lent to Chile’ for which presumably he was awarded the Chilean Order of Merit.

Ex Spink, 18 July 1995, lot 316.
Dr David Biggins
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Medals to HMS Philomel 7 years 4 months ago #49892

  • Frank Kelley
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Magnificent and I say that, even though I'm not a Naval collector!

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Medals to HMS Philomel 7 years 4 months ago #49920

  • LinneyI
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David
Always liked Naval QSAs! The inclusion of the Chilean Order in the illustrated group looks decidedly unusual. However, prior to the Great War, the British shipbuilding industry was busily completing orders for the latest in Dreadnoughts for a number of foreign powers. Japan, Turkey and Chile to name three. On 31st July, 1914 the foreign orders were "requisitioned"; including the Chilean Dreadnought "Admirante Latorre" (which became HMS "Canada") and later another such was completed as an aircraft carrier.
I would imagine that some pretty ruffled Chilean feathers would need smoothing. Sending such an impressive officer to Chile to do all that, arrange compensation and ensure the continuation of the vital nitrate trade would be logical.
Would he have been given "permission to wear" a foreign decoration? If so, there would be a record of it; perhaps in what we would today call his resume.
Really a lovely group of medals.
Regards
IL.

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Medals to HMS Philomel 7 years 4 months ago #49933

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Permission to wear foreign orders and medals was and still is normally bestowed by the sovereign and announced in the Gazette, in the past, however, a great many gentlemen simply ignored protocol and wore what they had been given anyway, including, famously, a certain WSL Churchill.

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Medals to HMS Philomel 3 years 11 months ago #68579

  • djb
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Spink do not actually say to which ship the QSA is named so I am going to presume it is Philomel.


Picture courtesy of Spink

E&W Africa 1887 (3) Benin River 1894, Brass River 1895, Benin 1897 (D. Statt. Dom.2 Cl., H.M.S. Widgeon.)
No details of the QSA given

Ex Douglas-Morris Collection 1997, where described as a unique combination of clasps to the Royal Navy or Royal Marines. However, there are believed to be three recipients of this clasp combination.

Daniel Statt was born on 5 October 1869 on Jersey, and took employment as a servant before joining the Royal Navy. He entered the service as Domestic 3rd Class aboard Indus on 7 May 1888, before being promoted and transferred to Lion as Domestic 2nd Class in August 1889. Posted to Shannon in April 1891, Sirius in April 1892 and Vivid I in June 1893, Statt was paid off to shore, 'services no longer required' in August 1893. Despite this entry in his record, he rejoined the Royal Navy a month later and served aboard the packet boat Widgeon from September 1893 and the cruiser St George from December 1896.

It was whilst aboard Widgeon that Statt was landed for service on shore in various Naval Brigades. He took part in the Expedition up the Benin River in 1894 to punish the rebellious Chief Nana Olomu, and served in the punitive expedition against King Frederick William Koko Mingi VIII of Nembe on the Brass River in 1895. Appointed Domestic 1st Class aboard St George on 1 December 1896, Statt participated in the Benin Expedition of 1897 against the slave trading Chief Overiami, culminating in the capture and destruction of Benin City. It is also noted in a number of sources that at least one of these Chiefs were involved in regular human sacrifices (Bush Warfare 1906, by W. G. C. Heneker, refers), indeed a report on the Nembe uprising by Sir John Kirk, GCMG, KCB, FRS, companion to explorer David Livingstone - which was published in March 1896 - found that 43 of Koko's hostages had been murdered and ceremoniously eaten. Chief Koko was offered a settlement of his grievances by the British but found the terms unacceptable; he was deposed and died in exile in 1898. For his service during these actions, Statt was awarded the East & West Africa Medal with three clasps.

Put ashore at Simonstown in South Africa at his own request, Statt joined Philomel in December 1898 as Domestic 2nd Class. Serving during the Second Boer War (Queen's Medal without clasp) Statt was transferred to shore 'unsuitable' on 30 June 1900, but once again re-entered the service aboard Britannia on 16 July 1901 as Domestic 1st Class. Transferred to Niobe, he was finally paid off on 18 November 1902, Domestics at this time being ineligible for the LS & GC Medal.
Dr David Biggins
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Medals to HMS Philomel 3 years 11 months ago #68603

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Marcus Budgen says the QSA in the picture is an erased medal, an example of the recipient's entitlement.
Dr David Biggins

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