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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 28

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (Lieut. Honble. P. M. Hely Hutchinson. R.N. HMS "Shah"), nearly extremely fine

The Honourable Patrick Maurice Hely-Hutchison was born in Paris on 27 April 1855. He was the third son of the 4th Earl of Donoughmore of Knocklofty, and the brother of the Rt. Hon. Sir Watler Hely-Hutchison (Governor-General and Commander in Chief of Natal and Zululand, 1893-1901).

Hely-Hutchison joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in May 1868, and advanced to Sub-Lieutenant in April 1874. He served in H.M.S. Shah, May 1876 - October 1879, during which time he was promoted Lieutenant. Throughout his career he was closely involved with torpedoes and would surely have been to the fore during the battle of Pacocha - often referred to as the 'Huascar incident' - on 29 May 1877. On this day Shah and Amethyst engaged the Huascar - a rebel ironclad ship of the Peruvian Navy in the South Eastern Pacific. Shah fired nearly 250 shots and suffered splinter damage to her mast and it was the first occasion on which the self-propelled torpedo was fired in anger - with Hely-Hutchinson likely involved.

He subsequently served during the Zulu War, and was present ashore as part of the Naval Brigade (18 May - 21 July 1879) and accompanied the Etshowe Relief Column. He was consequently present at the battle of Ginghilovo and afterwards joined Crealock's Division in the advance to Port Durnford (Mentioned in Despatches; promoted). Subsequent service included H.M.S. Alexandra, March 1880 - September 1882, during which he was present at the bombardment of Alexandria (Egypt and Sudan Medal & clasp; Khedive's Star).

After service in South Africa and Egypt, Hely-Hutchison served in Australia as Torpedo Officer to the Victorian Navy, 1883-88. In 1884 '...the Victorian fleet was enlarged by the arrival of the first class torpedo boat Childers armed with four torpedoes for release over the side, using special dropping gear and two Hotchkiss guns. Lieutenant Heley Hutchison [sic] was in command of her during that October, on passage from Williamstown towards Geelong, when she struck an 'uncharted' rock. Childers escaped serious damage, but to this day the mysterious rock remains uncharted.' (Deeds Not Words, The Victorian Navy, Wilson P. Evans, refers)

Appointed to the command of Spider, 22 July - 6 September 1890 and Speedwell, 17 November 1890- January 1893 at the rank of Commander, he was approved for a transfer to Gibraltar on falling seriously ill on 23 January 1890. He sadly died of heart disease with dropsy en route to Gibraltar on 27 January 1893, being buried in the Lower Cemetery, Gibraltar; sold with copied service record and research.



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Sold for
£2,900