Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Petty Officer First Class H. Sayce, Royal Navy

China 1900, no clasp (H. Sayce, P.O. 2 Cl., H.M.S. Wallaroo.); 1914-15 Star (132956. H. Sayce. P.O.1. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (132956 H. Sayce. L.S. R.N.); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (successful) (Henry Sayce. R.N. May. 3. 1907) with Second Award clasp dated ‘26th Nov 1918’, with bronze ribbon buckle; Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd issue, silver (To Henry Sayce. For Gallant Service. 26th Nov: 1918) with silver ribbon buckle, mounted for wear, good very fine (6) £1,400-£1,800

Provenance: Edrington Collection 1980 and Fevyer collection 2008.

M.I.D. London Gazette 13 April 1915. For ‘good behaviour and coolness under fire’ aboard H.M.S. Mersey off the coast of Belgium, 17 October to 9 November 1914.

‘Awarded Testimonial on Vellum by Royal Humane Society for helping to save life on 2. 10. 1900’ (Ref. service papers).

R.H.S. Bronze Medal (Case No. 35,280): ‘On the 3rd May, 1907, A. P. Truscott, an A.B., threw himself from a boat into Portsmouth harbour. Henry Sayce, Petty Officer, H.M.S. Excellent, jumped in and rescued him in an unconscious state.’

Clasp to R.H.S. Medal (Case No. 44,619) and Liverpool Shipwreck Silver Medal and Certificate of Thanks: ‘To Customs Officer Henry Sayce, for bravely diving into the River Mersey from the St George’s Landing Stage, Liverpool, and rescuing a man immersed, on the 26th November, 1918.’

Henry Sayce was born at Pembroke Dock, Pembroke, on 16 July 1869, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Impregnable on 12 May 1885. He rose to become Petty Officer 1st Class in April 1896 but was demoted to Leading Seaman in September 1898 for incompetence, thus denying himself the award of the L.S. & G.C. medal. He served aboard Wallaroo from February 1900 to December 1903, achieving Petty Officer status once again in June 1900. Pensioned to shore in July 1909, he was recalled for war service on 2 August 1914. Sold with copied service papers, gazette extracts and other research.