Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Arctic Medal 1875-76 (Hy. Mann. Shipwt. H.M.S. Alert) lightly polished, otherwise very fine £4000-5000

A total of 155 Arctic 1875-76 medals were awarded including 62 to the Alert, whose teams penetrated furthest north during the expedition.

Shipwright Henry Mann took part in the sledging expedition on the sledge Challenger, under Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich, R.N. During the expedition Mann became unfit to march and was left behind in a tent to look after the gear, whilst the others went on. The expedition suffered badly from scurvy and the return journey was slowed by sickness and fatigue. Aldrich noted in his journal ‘adter lunch, the Sergeant and Mann both gave in, leaving five of us to drsg ropes, Ayles and I becoming permanent leading men’. And later, ‘it will be observed that it is the blue jackets who hang out - the Marine, Shipwright and Blacksmith being disabled’.

It was on 30 May that Mann became ill and exhausted and by the finish of this expedition on 17 June, he, along with the other injured were being referred to as ‘the invalids’.

Mann’s medal was sent on 14 May 1877. Sold with a photocopied wedding photo dated July 31st 1902, showing ‘Great Grandad Mann, Shipwright “Alert” looks very distinguished’.