Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Chief Petty Officer G. Chamberlain, Royal Navy

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Natal (160467 P.O., H.M.S. Forte); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Gambia (160467 L. Seaman, H.M.S. Forte), contact marks, edge bruising and polished, fine or better, the second rare (2) £400-450

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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Just 34 “Gambia” clasps were issued to R.N. and R.M. personnel, in addition to two others to members of the Transport Service.

George Chamberlain was born in Ipswich in March 1876 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in April 1891. In addition to his services in the Boer War and in the Gambia operations of 1901, he was actively employed as a Chief Petty Officer throughout the Great War, initially in the depot ship H.M.S. Tyne, but afterwards in the destroyer Lawford from April 1917 until March 1919. Chamberlain - who was also awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in 1916 - was demobilised in June 1919, aged 43 years.