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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 71

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Ladysmith (167204 Sto: R. Notton, H.M.S. Powerful.), good very fine

Reginald Dutton was born at Burton-On-Trent on 6 March 1868, working as a blacksmith prior to enlisting with the Royal Navy on 21 June 1892 as Stoker Class II. He served on a number of vessels including Achilles, Trafalgar and Sharpshooter prior to the Anglo-Boer War. Posted to protected cruiser Powerful on 8 June 1897 with the rank of Stoker, he was present with her when the war began and was one of those selected to join the Naval Brigade providing heavy guns to the Army in the early months of the war.

They arrived at the last possible moment with Boer shells and rifle rounds landing around them as they unloaded the guns. Their heavy 4.7-inch guns were the best weapons the British defenders had to counter the Boer heavy guns, the British gun Lady Anne contested Long Tom for most of the siege, raising morale greatly.

Over 40 of the men of Powerful became casualties during the siege, a high number as the Boers only made two serious attempts to take the city by force. Much of the fighting was either raids or exchanges of artillery in which the men of the Naval Brigade were heavily engaged. When the city was relieved, the Naval Brigade returned to Powerful which itself returned to Britain on 11 April 1900. Dutton left the ship on 8 June that year and was posted to the cruiser H.M.S. Australia on 19 April 1901, he deserted from that ship in 1902. Found and returned to the ship he was later imprisoned by the civil power on 19 January 1903, it was decided that after he was released he was to be discharged; sold together with copied service papers.


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Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£200