Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Staff Surgeon A. T. Wysard, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Glasgow at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914 and the subsequent hunting down of the Dresden

China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (A. T. Wysard, Surgeon R.N., H.M.S. Barfleur.); 1914-15 Star (St. Surg. A. T. Wysard. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (St. Surg. A. T. Wysard. R.N.) mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £500-£700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards.

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Alexander Thomas Wysard was appointed Surgeon, Royal Navy, on 13 May 1896 and joined H.M.S. Barfleur on the China Station on 1 October 1898. He was promoted Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander on 13 May 1904, and Staff Surgeon on 13 May 1905, retiring in 1906. Recalled for service during the Great War, he was posted to H.M.S. Glasgow, and was present in her at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914, where she had a miraculous escape under the cover of darkness; both H.M.S. Good Hope and Monmouth, however, were sunk with the loss of all hands.

Wysard was still serving in H.M.S. Glasgow when, along with H.M.S. Kent, the two ships encountered the German light cruiser Dresden, the only warship of von Spee’s squadron to have escaped destruction during the Falklands action, and which the South Atlantic squadron were now hunting down, off the south west coast of Chile on the morning of 14 March 1915. Both British warships opened fire; Dresden fired off only three shots before her guns were knocked out by British gunfire. On fire and holed at the waterline, Captain Lüdecke raised the white flag and sent over a negotiator to gain time while he prepared Dresden for scuttling. At 10:45, the scuttling charge detonated in the bow and exploded the forward ammunition magazines. The bow was badly mangled; in about half an hour, the ship had taken on enough water to sink. This was the end of von Spee’s East Asiatic Squadron. The official history states that the Surgeon of Glasgow (Wysard) was on his way to render aid when the Dresden blew up.

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