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Having a tidy up of my archives and came across this photograph.

Watch to 186778 Able Seaman John Frederick ANNETT (inscribed to "S. ANNETT" and with replacement bow & hands) to be sold at Lawsons Auctioneers, Sydney, on 24 Nov 2022.
Estimate: AUD 2,200 - 2,800 (£1.230 - £1,560) UNSOLD

SEE: WATCH AWARDED TO ABLE SEAMAN S ANNETT OF H.M.S. POWERFUL




.Courtesy of Lawsons Auctioneers, Sydney



Description

A SMITH & SONS FULL HUNTER SILVER POCKET WATCH AWARDED TO ABLE SEAMAN S ANNETT OF H.M.S. POWERFUL COMMEMORATING THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH; with white enamel dial and 15 jewel 3/4 plate movement signed S.Smith & Son, 9 Strand, Watchmaker to the Admiralty London, Swiss Made, blued hands, Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds signed 55-216, stem wind, lever set pin at 4 o'clock, front cover engaved "Siege of Ladysmith 118 Days 1899-1900 S. Annett, A.B. H.M.S. Powerful", size 50mm, wt. 107.69g, working. Notes on the Siege of Ladysmith; After the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war in Octber 1899, the HMS Powerfull and Terrible were ordered to Durban, South Africa. Early in the war there was fierce combat between the British and the Boer forces in Natal. Within this province the British had concentrated at a garrison town of Ladysmith but they were outgunned. A plan was devised to strip two 4.7 inch and four 12 pound naval guns from HMS Powerful and Terrible and take them overland, of some 189 miles, first by rail then by oxen and when the oxen died by hand. The siege lasted 118 days ending in February 1900 when British forces from outside the town were able to break through the Boer positions. On return to Portsmouth after much celebrations the crew of the HMS Powerful were each awarded a silver watch by the Mayor, including Annett.

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Thank you for posting that. I have Annett's QSA which has been sold several times in recent years ( Spink November 2011, DNW 2014, 2016, 2020). I would very much have liked to reunite the watch and medal but was put off by the price, time and distance but see it is shown as unsold so still hope perhaps.

Annett was one of the Powerfuls left behind at Ladysmith after the relief due to sickness but obviously made it home in time for the presentation of the watches. He was also entitled to the Naval General Service medal 1909-20 with clasp Persia for service on HMS Highflyer in 1915 and a WW1 trio.

The Annett watch has just been listed on eBay in Australia, I posted the link under Tribute Medals. Go for it!

Not sure if the seller ships to the UK.

Here’s the link anyway ….

HMS POWERFUL LADYSMITH WATCH

AU $2,800 or Best Offer

No mention of the incorrect bow, which Lawsons confirmed is a nickel silver replacement.

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Thanks to both of you but still too rich for me. I will watch with interest though.