The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 2)

A rare Boxer Rebellion C.G.M. group of four awarded to Leading Seaman Herbert George, H.M.S. Orlando, for gallantry at Hsiku, Taku Forts, in June 1900

Four: Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R. (Herbert F. George, Leadg. Seaman R.N. China 1900) officially engraved naming; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (H. George, Lg. Smn., H.M.S. Orlando); British War Medal (162772 H. E. George, P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (162772 H. E. George, Boatn. H.M. Coast Guard) light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (4)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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Eight C.G.M’s were awarded during the operations in China 1900.

The following recommendation was submitted by Commander C. D. Granville on 16 November 1900 (Ref S.316/1900):

“Close by the Taku Forts on 22 June Able Seamen George and Turner were in the leading junk conveying twenty wounded men down the river, which had got some distance ahead of the other junks, when a heavy fire was suddenly opened from the Chinese troops on the right bank at forty yards distance, killing two of the Seamen Guard, wounding one Chief Petty Officer and one American seaman.

The men manning the two ropes on the left bank took cover and the junk was left drifting down stream towards the Chinese on the right bank. Turner and George, who formed part of the guard in the junk, at once hauled up and manned the empty sampan which the junk was towing. They succeeded in towing their junk back 200 yards against the stream into safety behind a bend in the river where other junks were lying.

Surgeon Pickerton of H.M.S. CENTAUR, who was in the junk in charge of the wounded, is of the opinion that it was owing to the behaviour of these two seamen that the lives of many if not all in the junk were saved.”

The following report was submitted by Captain B. H. McCalla, U.S. Navy: “Edward Turner, Leading Seaman, and Herbert George, Able Seaman, were part of the guard in one of the junks in which there were British and American wounded and which on the 22 June (1900) at Hsiku drifted across the river under a heavy fire and grounded on the bank occupied by the Chinese. These two men sprang overboard pushed the junk clear of the bank, manned an empty sampan and towed the junk out of the line of the enemy fire, though this was not accomplished until three of the wounded in the junk had been killed.” It is interesting to note that Captain McCalla was the only American recipient of the British medal for China, presented to him through the British Embassy at Washington in June 1903.

On 24 April 1901 the American Ambassador forwarded two gold medals awarded by the Life Saving Benevolent Assocation of New York to be presented to George and Turner in recognition of their services to a drifting junk filled with American and British wounded at Taku on 22 June 1900. George's medal was presented to him aboard H.M.S. DUKE OF WELLINGTON on 30 July 1901 in the presence of the ships officers and men. George was also granted an annuity of £10 per annum to accompany the C.G.M. on attaining the rate of Petty Officer 1st Class.

Herbert George was born in Leyton, Essex on 27 March 1876 and entered the service as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. IMPREGNABLE on 2 September 1891 when aged 15 years. He transferred to GANGES on 12 September 1891, advanced to Boy 1st Class on 15 September 1902 and served in this rank aboard IMPREGNABLE (September 1902), MELAMPUS (May 1893), VIVID I (September 1893), DREADNOUGHT (October 1893) and CRUISER (March 1894) being advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 27 March 1894. He joined RODNEY (August 1894) and was advanced to Able Seaman on 23 June 1895 and served subsequently aboard VICTORY I (October 1895), EXCELLENT (November 1895), VERNON (May 1896), VICTORY I (November 1896), EXCELLENT (December 1896), and ORLANDO (February 1899).

Whilst serving in ORLANDO he was landed as part of the Naval Brigade and took part in the operations to relieve Pekin. He was specially advanced to Leading Seaman on 10 August 1900 for services in China, and received his China medal personally from H.M. King Edward VII. He next served aboard DUKE OF WELLINGTON (April 1901), and was advanced to Petty Officer on 30 July 1902, HAWKE (May 1903), and VICTORY (October 1903).

In November 1903 he volunteered to join the Coast Guard Service and was posted to the Eastern District at Clacton as a Boatman on 27 November 1903, subsequently serving at Cleethorpes (January 1903), being advanced to Leading Boatman on 15 June 1911 and transferred to the Southern District, Kingston on Sea (November 1913). He was advanced to Petty Officer (Coast Guard) on 1 January 1916 and transferred to the Scottish District at St Abbs Head (July 1916). He served next at Kingston on Sea (October 1916) and returned to St Abbs Head (January 1918) being demobilised on 8 March 1919. He was awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal in April 1909 whilst serving with the Coast Guard Service at Cleethorpes.