South Africa 1834-53 (T. Oliver. Stoker.) edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine £360-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The John Nicholson Collection of medals to men who fought in the Kaffir Wars of 1834-53.

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Collection

99 South Africa medals issued to H.M.S. Rhadamanthus.

Thomas Oliver was born and lived at Dartford, Kent, and is first recorded as a Stoker in H.M.S. Ocean on 9 June 1849. He spent a period in Maidstone gaol, 20 June to 18 July, 1850, when he returned to Ocean, now as Assistant Stoker. He joined Rhadamanthus st Stoker from 17 March 1851. This ship was the first to reach the site of the disaster to H.M.S. Birkenhead, en route to South Africa on 26 February 1852. Oliver served in Rhadamanthus throughout the Kaffir War of 1853. He was promoted Leading Stoker in March 1856, and transferred to Lynx on 30 May 1856, in which ship he earned the Crimea with clasps for Sebastopol and Azoff. He was discharged and Paid Off from Fisgard on 18 May 1857. Sold with copied record of service and other research.