Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Sergeant George Plumstead, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Baltic 1854-55 (G. R. Plumstead, Dr. 61st Co. R.M.L.I. 55); China 1857-60, 4 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, Taku Forts 1860, unnamed as issued; Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal, V.R. (Sergt. G. R. Plumstead, Late 5th Co. Ch. R.M.L.I.) officially impressed naming, the first with replacement suspension post and edge bruising, the second with replacement suspension rod, both with heavy contact marks, good fine, the last with some contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and a rare group (3) £1,600-£2,000

Provenance: The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997.

A total of 57 four clasp China medals issued to Naval recipients, including 23 to the Royal Marines.

George Plumstead was born in Chatham, Kent, in September 1838. He enlisted as a drummer on 9 September 1853 aged 15 years, and was drafted to H.M.S. Colossus the following year for active service in the Baltic against the Russians.

He joined H.M.S. Cruiser in 1856 for service on the China Station. He served in this ship for nearly five years and participated in most of the naval actions of the Second China war, including the small boat action at Fatshan Creek, the operations leading to the capture of Canton in January 1858, and also in the attack on the Taku Forts in 1858. He received two gunshot wounds during the attack on the Peiho Forts on 25 June 1859, and was subsequently present at the attack on the Taku Forts in 1860, for which services he received the China medal with four clasps. He later served for a period of one year aboard H.M. Ships Cossack, Cumberland and Icarus.

He received promotion to Private in May 1861 and to Corporal three months later. In November 1862 he was promoted to Sergeant and to Colour Sergeant in February 1865. Later that year, his name appeared in the Divisional Defaulters Book for an unspecified offence and he reverted to sergeant. In 1868, while serving in H.M.S. Basilisk, he was again promoted to Colour Sergeant but reverted two years later and did not regain his lost rank.

In 1876 he found that he was at risk of not receiving his L.S. & G.C. medal because of this past indiscretion but successfully appealed and received the medal on 17 November 1876 (Narrow suspension, engraved naming, years on edge variety). He retired on 25 September 1877 with 24 years’ service, although the three years he served under-age did not count for official purposes. Sometime between 1885 and 1901, as a pensioner, he was awarded the Royal Marines Meritorious Service Medal, the specific date unknown because the rolls for this period have not survived. Sold with copied record of service, medal roll extracts and other research.