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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 29

The South Africa Medal awarded to Domestic 2nd Class W. Long, Royal Navy, a Bluejacket present in the Naval Brigade at the Battle of Ginginhlovo

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1879 (W. Long. Dom: 2nd Cl: H.M.S. "Tenedos"), nearly extremely fine

57 of the 196 Medals issued to Tenedos were with clasp; this is the only one awarded with clasp to a Domestic.

William Long was born on 13 June 1858 at Stoke Climsland, Cornwall and was a saddler by trade upon his joining the Royal Navy in November 1876. Initially serving in Royal Adelaide, he was entered on the books of Tenedos on 3 April 1878. It was, however, after having been transferred to Boadicea on 2 March 1879 that he was landed as a Bluejacket. He was subsequently present at the battle of Ginginhlovo on 2 April 1879, when the officers and ratings of the Naval Brigade manned, two deep, the waist-high rampart behind the shelter trench in Lord Chelmsford's laager, with rocket and Gatling gun detachments posted in the corners. Low's The Great Battles of the British Navy takes up the story:

'In this engagement, which consisted of a gallant attempt by the Zulus to capture the laager in which our troops entrenched themselves on the previous night, a detachment of seaman and marines took a prominent part. The British force consisted of 2,500 Natives and 3,400 Europeans, including the 57th, 3rd Battalion 60th, 91st and some companies of the Buffs and 99th Regiment, and a Naval Brigade drawn from H.M.S. Shah, Tenedos and Boadicea - with 2 guns, 2 Gatlings and 2 rocket-tubes, the seamen being led by Commander Brackenbury, and the Marines by Captain Phillips, both of the Shah. The Naval Brigade, with the guns, defended the four angles of the laager, and though the Zulu army, about 12,000 strong, under Dabulamanzi, attacked with their accustomed intrepidity, the fire from the guns and Martini-Henrys was so deadly that they were beaten back and dispersed with a loss of 1,200 men, 470 dead Zulus being buried close to the laager. In this action the British loss was 1 officer and 3 men killed, and 5 officers, including Lieutenant Milne, R.N., and 25 men, including 6 of the Naval Brigade, wounded.'

Rejoining Tenedos on 10 May, Long was returned 'home own request'. This Medal was sent to him on 26 August 1881, before he was discharged ashore in November 1884. Long died in Burnley on 24 February 1923; sold with copied roll extract and research.

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Sold for
£950