TOPIC:

QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL TO STOKER WILLIAM ADAMS HMS RACOON
Clasps:none
Condition:VF with a couple of edge knocks

The following taken from ADM. 171/53:

Name in Full: William Adams
Official or Regimental Number: 288,874
Number of Medal: 5958
Rank or Rating: Stoker
No. on ship's Books: 18.39
His medal was sent to William Adams on 3rd November 1902.

Medal Entitlement for the ship's company of HMS Racoon as follows :
2-One Bar Medals
176-No Bar Medals
30 medals were returned

A very nice medal, Moranthorse1. Many thanks for posting the excellent pictures.

Moranthorse 1
If you can get a copy of Peter Singlehurst's "Afloat and Ashore - he Royal Navy during the Boer War", you will find a good account of the doings of this 3rd Class Cruiser. Interestingly, this ship was selected for equipment with the new Marconi wireless - after conditions ashore proved unsuitable for both transmission and reception. I appreciate your man - labouring below on feeding the boilers - might not have appreciated the new technology fully. With a total medal entitlement of two hundred and eight (with thirty returned), medals to H.M.S. Racoon are quite desirable.
Regards
IL

IL and David,
Many thanks for your comments.
I have edited my posting to include the 30 medals returned, it is important to get the figures right!

I don't think I have seen another QSA to HMS Racoon on the market for a while. I got this one off e-Bay earlier this year.

Alot of naval medals that do become available are to the Stoker rating. I agree with IL that they were doing a thankless job in a hot climate.

Thank you for the recommended reading.

Regards,
Steve

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (0) (D. Y. Walton, Ldg: Seamn: HMS Racoon) small impressed naming;
1914-15 Star (173848, D. Y. Walton, Act. C.P.O., R.N.);
BWM and VM (173848 D. Y. Walton. C.P.O. R.N. );
Royal Navy LS&GC EdVII. (173848 D. Y. Walton, P.O. 1Cl, HMS Actæon.)

Approximately 176 (0) Queen’s South Africa Medals awarded to HMS Racoon.

David Younghusband Walton was born in White Haven, Cumberland, on 19 June 1877 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 9 June 1893. He joined HMS Racoon on 1 February 1898, was advanced Leading Seaman on 1 March 1900, and served in her during the Boer War. He was advanced Petty Officer 1st Class on 4 February 1906, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 24 June 1910. He served during the Great War in H.M. Ships Tyne, Lightfoot and Waterhen, and was advanced Chief Petty Officer on 1 October 1916. He was shore demobilised on 2 August 1919.

Queen’s South Africa Medal no clasp, Able Seaman William Ritchie, HMS Racoon, re-entered the Royal Navy twice, he was finally demobilized in 1919 at 50 years old.

QSA officially named to W Ritchie AB HMS Racoon

William Ritchie was born in Montrose, Fifeshire 17th March 1869 a Swayer, he entered the Royal Navy at Boscawen as Boy 2nd Class 2nd April 1884. He subsequently joined HMS Active 22nd September 1885, HMS Agincourt 1st June 1886 where he was rated Ordinary Seaman 17th March 1887. Joining Royal Adelaide 15th June 1887, HMS Bramble 21st October 1887, he was rated Able Seaman aboard this ship 1st September 1888, Victory I 16th October 1891, Excellent 2nd February 1892, Vernon 1st July 1892, Victory I 18th December 1892, HMS Iron Duke 24th February 1893, HMS Galatea HMS Resolution 4th December 1893, Victory I 22nd October 1896 Victory I 22nd October 1896, he was discharged shore time expired 20th March 1897.

Re-entering the Royal Navy at Victory I 4th June 1897, he subsequently joined Vernon 21st November 1897, Victory I 9th January 1898, HMS Racoon 31st January 1898, Duke of Wellington I 7th July 1901, HMS Galatea 3rd May 1902, he transferred to HM Coast Guard as Boatman joining Hull (Robin Hood Bay) Station 9th August 1902. Discharged to pension 8th June 1907. Re-entering the Royal Navy again as Pensioned Able Seaman at Victory I 2nd August 1914, he joined Vernon 31st October 1914, Victory 1st December 1914, Excellent 13th December 1914 from where he was demobilized 28th January 1919.

Not awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal seven character assessments of only “Good” during his service. He died in Middlesbrough in 1937.

178 QSA Medals to HMS Racoon, 176 with no clasp