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Auction: 9022 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 98

x Naval General Service 1793-1840, one clasp, Basque Roads 1809 (H.B. Wyatt, Master´s Mate.), pawn broker´s mark to edge at 11 o´clock, extremely fine, virtually mint state, with contemporary silver top riband buckle Estimate £ 1,600-2,000 Henry B. Wyatt served as Master´´s Mate in H.M.S. Unicorn for the destruction of four French ships-of-the-line in the Basque Roads off St. Nazaire, 11-12th April 1809. Captain Henry Benjamin Wyatt born at Blackbrook, Staffordshire, 1786; he was nephew of James Wyatt, Surveyor-General of the Board of Works and private Architect to George III; H.B. Wyatt joined the Royal Navy, April 1803, and was appointed Midshipman in H.M.S. Unicorn (Captain L.F. Hardyman), later the same year; he served in the latter off the coast of Norway and assisting at the blockade of the Dutch fleet in the Texel before sailing with a convoy to the West Indies, December 1804; whilst serving in this Station he served in one of four boats under the command of Lieutenant H.S. Wilson, at the capture, after a pull of many hours and in the face of strong opposition, of the French privateer Tape-a-bord, mounting 4 6-pounders with a complement of 46 well armed men, 26.5.1805; in the following October he aided in making prize of a Spanish letter-of-marque, near Bermuda and throughout April 1806 whilst off French Guyana he was frequently in boats engaged in pursuing enemy vessels whilst under fire from their batteries; the following July the Unicorn returned home as part of a convoy of 91 sail, enroute the convoy encountered and saw off four French frigates; Wyatt returned to action with the Unicorn in January 1807, when in the Rio de la Plata, employed with the boats in protecting the debarkation of the troops for the attack on Monte Video; on the day that the city was stormed Wyatt was in command of the ship´´s launch; after the failed attempt on Buenos Aires Wyatt returned to England; after taking part in the pursuit of a French Squadron from Rochefort, the Unicorn returned to the West Indies; he took part in more boat-operations on the north coast of Spain and assisted in embarking the army after the battle of Corunna; he was also present in a severe encounter with the enemy´´s flotilla near Oleron, 4.4.1809, when a Lieutenant and a rate were killed; and witnessed the celebrated attack made by Lord Cochrane on the French shipping in Aix Roads; Wyatt passed his examination in June 1809, and was appointed Lieutenant in H.M.S. Magnet (Captain J. Smith) the following month; he served in the latter as part of the force employed in the expedition to Walcheren; he was appointed to H.M.S. Ruby (flag-ship of Rear-Admiral M. Dixon), March 1810, ´´while in the Ruby he was often in action with Danish gun-boats in the Baltic; on one occasion he cut out, and captured in her gig, a merchant-vessel under a heavy fire from the batteries at Bornholm´´ (O´´Byrne refers); later service included in the Tremendous, Audacious and the Cumberland; promoted Commander 1815; retired Captain 1855

Sold for
£2,700