Watch List notes:

*A Scarce and Early Victorian Naval L.S.G.C. 'Wide' Group of Six awarded to Chief Bosun's Mate William Johns, Royal Navy, comprising: Baltic ,1854-55; Crimea, 1854-55, single clasp, Sebastopol; China 1857-60, 3 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1860, these first three all unnamed as issued; Canada General Service 1866-70, 1 clasp, Fenian Raid 1866 (Gunr's Mate W. Johns, H.M.S. Aurora); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (W. Johns, Chf. Bo. Mate, H.M.S. Cambridge 20 Yrs.); Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed and fitted with Crimea suspension; light contact marks to the earlier medals, otherwise good very fine and a fine early naval group (6). Ex Capt. K.J. Douglas-Morris Collection, part 1, D.N.W., 16 October 1996, lot 204. William Johns was born at Millbrook, Devon on 25 February 1837, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Impregnable on 30 October 1851, being transferred to H.M.S. Valorous on 18 December 1852. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class in February 1855 although he soon left this ship in August 1856. He rejoined the Navy as an Ordinary Seaman aboard H.M.S. Raleigh on 4 October 1856, whose commanding officer was Commodore Hon. Henry Keppel, designated Second in Command of the Fleet on the China Station. On 26 October 1856 Keppel sailed Raleigh from Portsmouth Harbour without the use of tugs, said to be the last sailing frigate so to leave that harbour under canvas. On 14 April 1857, some thirty miles distance from Hong Kong the Raleigh struck an uncharted and submerged rock just nine feet below the water causing serious damage to her hull. Despite the pumps being worked as hard as possible the continued to slowly fill with water, but fortunately a favourable wind allowed her to be beached on some mud shoals a few miles from Macao. After passing through Alligator, Sybille and her tender Macao Fort, William Johns served aboard Actaeon in December 1857, receiving advancement to Able Seaman in May 1858, to Leading Seaman in January 1862, and finally to Captain's Coxswain three months later. After two months aboard Russell as Captain of the Forecastle, he subsequently served aboard Aurora (1863-67) as Captain of the Foretop and Gunner's Mate, Cherub (1867-70) as Acting Gunner 3rd Clarr R.N., and Cambridge (1870-73) as Gunner's Mate and Chief Bosun's Mate. In this vessel he received his L.S. & G.C. medal when pensioned with 20 years' service on 22 April 1873. Offered with copied original service papers. (£2500-3000)