A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman

An unusual group of seven awarded to Captain S.E. Forster, Royal Navy, a veteran of the Egypt 1882 operations who added a 1914 Star to his accolades for services as a Transport Officer, together with the Belgian Order of Leopold I

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (S. E. Forster, Midn., R.N., H.M.S. Temeraire); 1914 Star (Capt. S. E. Forster, R.N., Transport Staff); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. S. E. Forster, R.N.); Coronation 1911; Belgium, Order of Leopold I, Officer’s breast badge, with swords, silver-gilt and enamel; Khedive’s Star 1882, the third with officially re-impressed naming, good very fine or better (7) £700-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman.

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Stewart Evelyn Forster was born in Wellington, New Zealand in December 1866 and entered the Royal Navy in the training ship Britannia in July 1881, aged 15 years. Shortly afterwards present in H.M.S. Temeraire at the bombardment of Alexandria, he enjoyed varied service and advancement in the period leading up the Great War, being placed on the Retired List as a Captain in October 1913.

Quickly recalled in August 1914, he was awarded his 1914 Star in respect of services as a Divisional Naval Transport Officer at Calais, in which post he remained employed until removing to the Immingham base Wallington in March 1917, services that resulted in the award of his Belgian Order of Leopold (London Gazette 22 June 1917 refers), in addition to a mention in despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917 refers). His final wartime appointment, from June 1918, was as Deputy Superintendent and King’s Harbour Master at Pembroke. Forster died in August 1937, aged 70 years; sold with a file of research.