Orders, Decorations and Medals

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Egypt, 14 Dec. Boat Service 1814 (Robt. Forster, Master’s Mate) very fine

Commander Robert Forster, of the ancient family of Forster of Bamborough, co. Northumberland, was the eldest of ten brothers, all of whom served their country - six in the army, the others in the navy. Seven of these Gentlemen died in actual service abroad, and an eighth died later of wounds received in a desperate cutting-out affair in the Bay of Rosas, in 1809.
Robert Forster entered the navy in 1795 as First Class Volunteer and served as Midshipman of Leopard at the capture of the Dutch frigate Argo, and the destruction of three brigs off Texel in 1796. He was Midshipman of Alcmene at Naples, 1798-99, and Mate of Leda in the Expedition to Egypt in 1801. Promoted Lieutenant in 1802, he was present in Charwell at the bombardment of Granville and Havre in 1803, and was aboard the Mars at the capture of four heavy French frigates, two of which struck to the Mars, off Rochefort in 1806. He accompanied the Expedition of 1807 to Copenhagen, where he landed as Senior Lieutenant of the Naval Brigade. In 1808-08 he commanded the gun-boats at Gottenborg, and a fire-ship at Rogerwick, and he again landed in charge of the seamen at the reduction of the island of Anholdt in May 1809. As First Lieutenant of the Asia he obtained the special notice of Sir Alex Cochrane, published in the London Gazette, for the destruction, under fire from field pieces and small arms, of a deeply laden armed schooner lying in Cherrystone Creek in the Chesapeake. During the operations against New Orleans he commanded a division of boats which crossed the Mississippi on the morning of the attack. He subsequently officiated as beach master at the capture of Fort Bowyer in February 1815 and on that occasion was officially mentioned by General Sir John Lambert. In 1819, in consequence of having entered into the naval service of Chile, was struck off the list of British Officers, but he was restored in 1832 and placed on half pay. For his foreign services, most of which were performed in the capacity of Commander-in-Chief, the Government of Peru bestowed upon him the highest conferrable military honour - the first class of the Founder of the Order of the Sun.