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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 95

The campaign group of six awarded to Chief Armourer F. R. Binsted, Royal Navy, present aboard the gunboat Thrush for the Aro expedition, he would later serve aboard Prince George in the Dardanelles

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 (F. Brinstead. Arm. Mte., H.M.S. Thrust.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Aro 1901-1902 (340927 Arm:Mate F. Binsted. H.M.S. Thrush), these two with officially re-impressed naming; 1914-15 Star (340927, F. R. Binstead, Act. Ch. Arm., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (340927 F. R. Binstead. Ch. Armr. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. (340927 F. R. Binstead, Armr., H.M.S. Lord Nelson.), note surname spelling, pitting, minor contact marks and contact wear, nearly very fine (6)

46 'Aro 1901-02' clasps issued to the Royal Navy.

Frederick Richard Binsted was born at Stroud, Kent on 19 April 1874, the son of Henry and Emma Binstead of 1 Waterloo Place, Frindsbury, Kent. Enlisting with the Royal Navy as Armourer's Crew (probationary) on 15 October 1895 he was posted first to the shore establishment Wildfire. He saw service in a number of vessels and establishments, being promoted Armourer's Mate with Pembroke II on 9 December 1898.

Posted to the gunboat Thrush on 21 December 1899, just prior to her involvement in the Anglo-Boer War. It appears that Binsted may have served ashore during this conflict, being an Armourer's Mate his skills would doubtless have been welcome. They also saw service during the Aro expedition at this time, with the intention of suppressing the local slave trade and re-open the lower Niger river which had been closed to commerce by pirate activity.

Rated Armourer on 27 April 1905 while with H.M.S. Jason, Binsted continued to serve. Stationed aboard the tender H.M.S. Tyne on the outbreak of the Great War he was further promoted Chief Armourer on 1 November 1915. Posted to the battleship Prince George he was with her during the attempts to force the Dardanelles in May 1915 when she was holed below the waterline by Turkish fire. Leaving her not long later he was also to see service with H.M.S. Weymouth the next year before being posted ashore. His final ship from 19 November 1917 was Phaeton, Binsted was demobilised on 7 March 1919. He appears to have died not long later as his particulars are noted on his service records as having been sent to his widow at Gillingham, Kent; sold together with copied research including service papers, census data and typed research.

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Sold for
£750

Starting price
£320