Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Hy. Cole Ships Cook H.M.S. Asia) engraved naming, nearly extremely fine £80-120

Provenance: Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997.

Henry Cole was born in Sheerness, Kent, in July 1832 and joined the Royal Navy in 1850. Posted to H.M.S. Blenheim, he served in the Baltic Campaign as a Sub-Officer’s Cook, and was subsequently advanced to Gun Room Cook in H.M.S. Marlborough; War Room Cook in H.M.S. Neptune; Saloon Cook in H.M.S. James Watt; and Captain’s Cook in H.M.S. Fisgard. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in May 1875 whilst serving as Ship’s Cook in H.M.S. Asia. Shore pensioned on 28 February 1878, in later life he was a publican in Portsmouth. He died on 15 May 1892.