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Auction: 8016 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 8

A Scarce ´Baltic Campaign´ Casualty Group of Four to Surgeon R.T. Easton, Royal Navy, Wounded and Taken Prisoner Whilst Under the Flag of Truce, by the Russians During The "Massacre" at Hango Head, 5.6.1855 Naval General Service 1793-1840, one clasp, Syria (Robt. T. Easton, Asst. Surgn.), small edge cut; Crimea 1854-56, one clasp, Sebastopol (Robt Tullo Easton. Surgeon Major R.N.), contemporarily engraved in upright serif capitals; Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued, pawn broker´s mark in obverse field, suspension slack; Turkish Crimea, Sardinian die, pierced for ring suspension as issued, with later ring, light contact marks throughout, otherwise generally good very fine (3) Estimate £ 1,200-1,600 Surgeon Robert Tulloh Easton, entered the Royal Navy as Assistant Surgeon, 27.5.1837; he served as an additional in the Royal Adelaide (flag ship of Lord Ameilius Beauclerk); served in H.M.S. Princess Charlotte (flag ship of the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford) on the Mediterranean station, where he took part in the operations on and off the coast of Syria, including the bombardment of St. Jean D´´Acre (entitled to St. Jean D´´Acre medal, silver); Surgeon 7.3.1842; appointed to H.M.S. Sealark (Captain Thomas Lewis Gooch), 3.11.1843; served in the latter off the coast of Africa until March 1846; appointed to H.M.S. Cossack (Captains Edward Gennys Fanshawe and James Horsford Cockburn), 21.8.1854; he proceeded in the latter with the advance squadron sent to the Baltic, March 1855, and was present on the 12th May, when they undertook a reconnaissance off Sweaborg, and in operations against enemy merchant ships on the 26th May, when several vessels were destroyed and prisoners taken; on the 5th June Easton landed at Hango Head with a party from H.M.S. Cossack to return the Russian and Finnish prisoners they had captured, ´´she arrived off Hango... at 11am, sent in a boat with a flag of truce, under Lieutenant Louis Geneste, with orders to land the prisoners, to allow none of the ship´´s people to straggle from the boat, and to return without delay. Strangely enough, however, three officers´´ stewards were allowed to go ashore. To give them this permission implied, of course, that they might venture at least so far from the boat as to obtain supplies from any natives who might be willing to sell them. Surgeon Robert Tulloh Easton also accompanied the party. Upon reaching the beach, the boat was screened from the ship by some intervening islands.´´ (Military History of the Royal Navy, 1816-56, by Clowes, refers); Geneste´´s official report takes up the story, ´´I proceeded to the landing-place at Hango Head... carrying a flag of truce.... We arrived at the pier, and no person being visible on shore except two or three women standing near the houses, I landed the Russian prisoners, and, in company with them and Dr. Easton, proceeded towards the house to communicate with the people and with the officer of the telegraph. The three stewards also accompanied us, in order, if possible, to purchase fresh provisions; but all the boat´´s crew were left in the boat, with strict orders not to land..... We had only proceeded about fifty yards from the boat, when suddenly Russian soldiers (who had lain concealed behind the rocks and houses, and of whose vicinity we were completely ignorant) rose and fired on us and the boat from all sides. Taking the white flag from the steward Lorton, who was shot down by my side, I endeavoured, with it in my hand, to prevent the soldiers firing at the boat, and so called the attention of their officer, who came near me, to it.... I regret to state that the firing did not cease until many of our people had been hit´´; six of the party were killed outright with several others, including Easton, wounded; the survivors of Geneste´´s landing party were taken prisoner, Easton was initially taken to Eckness where he attended the more severely wounded of the party, before being moved on to St. Petersburg; he was exchanged at Odessa, September 1855; further appointments included to H.M.S. Algiers, Victory, for service with gunboats, Southampton and latterly in H.M.S. Pembroke, until January 1860. Provenance: Glendining, December 1920 Sotheby, March 1980.

Sold for
£2,200