Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lieutenant F. G. Shaw, Royal Navy

Baltic 1854-55 (F. G. Shaw, Mate R.N.) engraved naming; Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Sebastopol, Azoff (F. G. Shaw, Mate R.N.) engraved naming, second clasp loose as issued; Abyssinia 1867 (Lieut F. G. Shaw H.M.S. Octavia); Order of the Medjidie, 5th class, silver, gold and enamel, the reverse inscribed ‘F. G. Shaw Actg. Mate R.N.’; Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue (F. G. Shaw, Mate R.N.) engraved naming, contact marks, therefore nearly very fine (5) £1200-1400

Francis Guerney Shaw was born on 10 August 1833 and entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet aboard H.M.S. Asia on 24 September 1847. As Midshipman of Waterwitch he took part in the operations against the Chief of Lagos in West Africa and was brought to notice by Commodore Bruce, 27 April 1852, ‘reporting that he performed good service at the second and successful attack on Lagos’. He was further mentioned in October 1853 by Commander Phillips of Polyphemus, who reported ‘his creditable conduct in the operations against Hosoko, late Chief of Lagos’. Shaw joined Princess Royal in May 1854 but his name does not appear on the roll for that ship as being entitled to the medal for the operations in the Baltic. During the operations in the Sea of Azoff he served in the 1st Launch of Princess Royal in the attack on Taganrog, and was gazetted for operations against Mariaupol and Gheisk. He passed for Lieutenant in June 1855 and was confirmed in that rank on 26 November 1859. In September 1867 he was appointed to Octavia, Additional for Transport Service in the Red Sea during the operations in Abyssinia, but was sent home under arrest to be discharged to shore due to ‘utter unfitness as a Transport Officer in Red Sea’. He was duly retired from the service on 23 June 1868 and placed on retired pay. Lieutenant Shaw died on 13 January 1875. Sold with copied record of service and relevant medal rolls including confirmation of the Medjidie. He does not appear to be entitled to the Baltic medal.

Lower point missing on the Medjidie