Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander Henry Bourne, Royal Navy, for his services as Junior Lieutenant of the Spartan in a brilliant single-handed action with a French squadron off Naples in May 1810

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Spartan 3 May 1810 (Henry Bourne.) a few surface marks, otherwise good very fine £5,000-£7,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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Collection

Wallis & Wallis, October 1995.

34 clasps issued for Spartan 3 May 1810.

Henry Bourne entered the Navy on 12 May 1801, as First-class Volunteer on board the Neptune 98, Captain Edward Brace, bearing the flag in the Channel of Vice-Admiral Gambier. He served as Midshipman, for a few months in 1802, in the Camilla 20, commanded by the same officer and by Captain Henry Hill, then rejoined Vice-Admiral Gambier in the Isis 50, at Newfoundland. He became attached, in January 1804, to the Melpomene 38, Captains Robert Dudley Oliver and Peter Parker employed in the Channel and Mediterranean. He was made Lieutenan on, 4 January 1808, into the Fame 74, Captain Richard Henry Alexander Bennett, off Cadiz, and, on 11 June 1809, removed to the Spartan frigate, Captain Jahleel Brenton. In October of the latter year he assisted at the reduction of Zante, Cephalonia, and Cerigo; and on 3 May 1810, he signalized himself by his exemplary conduct and gallantry, as Junior Lieutenant of the Spartan, whose force amounted to 46 guns and 258 men, in a brilliant and single-handed victory gained by that ship, in the Bay of Naples, after a contest of more than two hours, in which the British sustained a loss of 10 men killed and 22 wounded, over a Franco-Neapolitan squadron, carrying altogether 95 guns and about 1400 men. Mr. Bourne was subsequently employed with Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, who succeeded to the command of the Spartan, on the coast of North America, where he aided in the capture of numerous privateers and other vessels, until promoted to the command of the Rattler sloop, of 16 guns. He was promoted to Commander on 6 November 1813 and was superseded from the Spartan on 24 January 1814. Bourne was granted a pension for wounds on 2 December 1815. With the exception of a few months in 1829-30, when he served at Sheerness as Second-Captain of the Donegal 78, Captain Sir Jahleel Brenton, he held no further appointment.