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Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 93

(x) The Boxer Rebellion Medal awarded to Lieutenant-Commander W. G. Wakeham, Royal Navy, a long-served seadog who was commissioned Gunner, R.N. after his part in the relief of Pekin operations: his subsequent service in the armed merchant cruiser Virginian in the Great War gained him the French Medaille Militaire

China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (W. G. Wakeham, P.O. 2 Cl., H.M.S. Aurora), good very fine

William George Wakeham was born at Stoke Damerel, Devon in October 1876 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in February 1892. Gaining rapid promotion to Petty Officer status in September 1899, whilst serving in H.M.S. Aurora, he was present in the relief of Pekin operations in the following year (Medal & clasp).

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Wakeham was serving as a Gunner, R.N. in Niobe on the North America and West Indies station. He returned home in September 1915 and joined the armed merchant cruiser Virginian on the Northern Patrol: it was in this capacity that he gained his award of the French Medaille Militaire (London Gazette 15 September 1916, refers), in addition to promotion to Chief Gunner. On 21 August 1917, the Virginian was damaged by a torpedo delivered by the U-102 off Tory Island.

Wakeham finally came ashore as a Lieutenant-Commander in August 1930 and died in August 1944.


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Sold for
£650