Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Chief Petty Officer H. G. Arnold, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (H. G. Arnold, A.B., H.M.S. Alexandra); China 1900, no clasp (H. G. Arnold, Ch. P.O., H.M.S. Orlando); British War Medal 1914-20 (96554 H. G. Arnold, C.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Hy. Geo. Arnold, P.O. 1st Cl., H.M.S. Excellent); Khedive’s Star 1882, contact marks and polished, otherwise nearly very fine or better (5) £550-600

Henry George Arnold was born in Middlesex in May 1862 and entered the Royal Navy as a boy rating in June 1876. Joining H.M.S. Alexandra as an Able Seaman in July 1880, he was present at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882 (Medal & clasp), and, having been advanced to Petty Officer 1st Class July 1889, and appointed Chief Petty Officer in November 1898, witnessed further active service off China aboard the Orlando in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 (Medal). Pensioned ashore in November 1905, Arnold found employment at the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, and it was for his services there as an instructor in the Great War that he was awarded his British War Medal.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Parchment Certificates of Service (3), covering the periods June 1876 to December 1884, January 1885 to November 1905, and January 1918 to February 1919; a Certificate for Wounds and Hurts for an injury received during gun drill, H.M.S. Excellent, on 17 August 1883; mobilisation papers for October 1914, and letters of reference (5), three of them from officers of H.M.S. Orlando in June-July 1902, and another from the Captain Superintendent of the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, for the recipient’s services there in 1911-18; and three portrait photographs.