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Auction: 26001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 7

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Trafalgar (George Porter.), about extremely fine

George Porter is a unique name on the published Roll and confirmed with correct entitlement to this medal and clasp. A native of Hull, Yorkshire, and aged 21 at the time of the famous Battle of Trafalgar, Porter served as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the 100-gun ship-of-the-line H.M.S. Britannia. Nicknamed 'Old Ironsides', Britannia was one of the largest vessels in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and one of only three British first-rates to participate in that memorable engagement with the combined Franco-Spanish fleet on 21 October 1805.

From May 1803, she had been the flagship of William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, and continued in this role at Trafalgar where Carnegie was third in command of the British fleet. The sixth vessel in Nelson's own Weather Column, Britannia was a slow sailer and, in his detailed pre-battle instructions, Nelson simply asked Northesk to 'assume a station as most convenient' during the engagement to allow him to participate as fully as possible. Upon breaking the enemy line, such was the force of her broadsides that she swiftly dismasted a French 80-gun ship before manoeuvring to engage three of the French and Spanish vessels attacking H.M.S. Victory, greatly assisting in at a time when the British flagship was in danger of being overwhelmed - though not, of course, before Nelson fell mortally wounded.

By the end of the battle Britannia had suffered casualties of 52 men killed and wounded; during the subsequent great storm, Northesk ignored Collingwood's order to leave the enemy prisoners of war in their badly-damaged ships, and bravely had Britannia's boats save all aboard the French 74-gun Intrepide before she foundered.

Sold together with the original and complete card box of issue for the medal, this inscribed in ink to the lid: List 1 - P62, 1548, George Porter. Corners reinforced with old tape, but otherwise in sound condition and a very rare survivor.

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Estimate
£7,000 to £9,000

Starting price
£7000