Three: Able Seaman M. Connor, Royal Navy

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (A.B., H.M.S. Albion), contemporary engraved naming; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1860-1861 (A.B., H.M.S. Iris); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian die, Hunt & Roskill pattern, unnamed, generally very fine or better (3) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee.

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Of approximately 285 New Zealand Medals dated 1860-61 which were issued to the R.N. and R.M., 72 were awarded to the crew of H.M.S. Iris.

Michael Connor was born at Castletown, Co. Cork in March 1827 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 1st Class in October 1846. An Able Seaman by the time of his services off the Crimea, his ship, the Albion, was badly damaged and set on fire by enemy guns in Fort Constantine during the first major bombardment of Sebastopol on 16 October 1854 - her crew suffered casualties of 81 killed or wounded. Connor, who is also verified as having participated in the operations off New Zealand 1860-61, aboard the Iris, was finally discharged in July 1867.