Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Arctic Medal 1875-76 (R. W. Hitchcock. A.B. H.M.S. Discovery.) good very fine £4,000-£5,000

Robert William Hitckcock was born at Woolwich, Kent, on 8 October 1848. He was a cartridge maker at Woolwich arsenal prior to joining the Royal Navy on 21 April 1863, as a Boy 2nd Class in H.M.S. Fisgard. He was sent immediately to Osprey in which he advanced to Boy 1st Class on 14 May 1865, and to Ordinary Seaman on 23 June 1867, before moving to Meeanee on 14 August 1867, and to Firm on 20 October 1868, where he was advanced to Able Seaman on 1 September 1869. On his 18th birthday, in 1866, he had taken a Continuous Service engagement for ten years. He was in Icarus from 16 February to 18 November, 1871, and then transferred to Orwell until 27 August 1874. He was in Excellent from 9 October 1874 to 13 April 1875, before joining Discovery, still as an Able Seaman, on 17 April 1875. He was a member of a small party that crossed Polaris Bay in May 1876, and was lent briefly to Alert from 2 June to 11 August, 1876. He later went to the relief of the Northern Sledging Party and left Discovery on 5 December 1876. His Arctic Medal was issued to him Hector on 18 May 1877 (see below).

He was advanced to Leading Seaman on 1 January 1877, and left the Navy at the end of his Continuous Service engagement on 26 January 1877. On 1 March 1877 he rejoined Duke of Wellington for three weeks before transferring to the Coast Guard on 21 March as a Boatman, based at first on Hector at Southampton but serving at Pevensey until 11 December 1880, when he was promoted to Commissioned Boatman, first at Pevensey and then at Lydd in Kent. He was promoted to Chief Boatman on 17 February 1888, moving first to Chichester Harbour for a few weeks, and was then stationed at Townsend. Promoted to Chief Officer on 9 July 1890, he returned to Pevensey until 8 February 1894, before moving to Kingstown (Union Hall) from 9 February 1894 to 9 March 1896, before his final station at Harwich (St Margaret’s Bay) until he was pensioned on 8 October 1903, his 55th birthday. Although he had three Good Conduct Badges by 23 June 1880, there is no sign that he received a Long Service and Good Conduct medal.