A rare Victorian Naval group awarded to Admiral Sir William Loring, K.C.B., Royal Navy, Commodore of the Naval Forces in Australia during the War in New Zealand 1860-61
The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, K.C.B. (Military) neck badge in 18 carat gold and enamels; breast star in silver with appliqué centre in gold and enamels; Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (Lieut., R.N.); Crimea 1854-55, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated ‘1860’ (Commodore, C.B., H.M.S. Iris); St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, fitted with N.G.S. suspension and clasp, Syria; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue; Order of the Medjidie, 3rd class neck badge in silver, gold and enamels, the five campaign medals mounted on a contemporary wearing bar as worn, some minor chips to the enamelled pieces and light contact marks to the campaign medals, generally better than very fine (8)

William Loring was the second son of Admiral Sir J. Wentworth Loring, was born at Fareham in 1813, and educated at Twyford and at the Naval College, Portsmouth. Entering the Navy, he proceeded on active service in June, 1827; served on the coast of Syria in 1840-41, Lieutenant of Carysfort, being present at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre and the blockade of Alexandria, and was made Commander R.N. by ‘Special Promotion’ for his services there under Sir C. Napier. Again he received special promotion for the successful pursuit and capture of the notorious pirate Lin Gahu, on the coast of China. Captain of Furious at the bombardment of Odessa, and attack on Fort Constantine, Sebastopol, 1854; and at the capture of Kinburn, 1855. For these services he received the C.B., 5th July, 1855, and the 3rd class Medjidie. He was Commodore on the Australian Station from 1856 to 1860, and at the same time in command of the naval brigade at Taranaki during the New Zealand War 1860 to 1861. From 1862 to 1866 he was captain superintendent at Pembroke Dockyard, and Rear-Admiral superintendent at Portsmouth Dockyard 1870-71. About this time he was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, and in 1877 rose to that of Admiral. He was made K.C.B. in 1875, placed on the retired list in 1881, and died at Ryde, Isle of Wight, aged 82, on the 4th January, 1895.
The New Zealand medal to Commodore Loring is one of only six such medals dated ‘1860’ awarded to the Royal Navy.