Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Copenhagen 1801, Java (Joseph Padoe.) good very fine £3,000-£4,000

10 medals issued with this combination of clasps.

Joseph Padoe (Padoa on musters) served as a Boy aboard H.M.S. Elephant (Nelson’s flagship) at Copenhagen, and as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the Cordelia at the capture of Java. Joseph served at both actions alongside his younger brother Pascal Padoa, aged 14 and 13 respectively, from Malta.

At Copenhagen Nelson’s flagship Elephant was daringly anchored in shoal waters within the protection of forts and a line of floating batteries. This was the famous occasion when Nelson refused to see the ‘break off the action’ signal sent by his nervous superior Sir Hyde Parker. The battle ended with a complete British victory but at a cost of some 1200 killed and wounded and much damage to Nelson’s fleet.