Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant-Colonel N. Macnamara, Royal Marine Artillery

Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Sebastopol, Azoff (Lieut. N. Macnamara, R.M. Arty.) depot impressed naming; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, Fifth Class breast badge, silver, gold appliqué, and enamel; Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue, unnamed, fitted with Crimea suspension, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine (3) £700-£900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards.

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Collection

Clive Nowell Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, June 2009. Note: A similar group to this recipient but with an engraved Crimea medal was sold by Buckland Dix & Wood in June 1994.

Nugent Macnamara was born in Guernsey and entered the Royal Marine Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant, aged 19 years, on 30 December 1847. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant in April 1849, he saw service on the West Coast of Africa prior to participating in the Crimea War, when he was present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol, and as the Senior Officer, R.M.A., employed in the Sea of Azoff in June 1855. The latter post resulted in his landing at Ghirsk, Marionpol and Taganrog, where he destroyed government stores (despatches). He was also present at the bombardment and surrender of Kinburn and received the 5th class badge of the Turkish Order of Medjidjie, the latter decoration being referred to in a letter of his to the Deputy Adjutant General (R.M.), dated 1 November 1877:

“... the importance of the Expedition, which was signally successful, was marked by the 'Azoff' clasp being added to the Crimea Medal and by an extensive Naval Promotion in which from the rank I then held I was unable to share. On obtaining my Company in 1859, I submitted an application for Brevet rank but was unsuccessful so that my services together with those of the Force I commanded remained unrecognised beyond the award of the 5th class of the Medjidjie which the officers serving under my orders received.

In fact Macnamara received his promotion to Captain in 1859 and to Brevet Major in 1872. He held several sea-going appointments during this period, including one aboard the famous ironclad, H.M.S. Warrior, between 1867-69 (Warrior has now been restored to her former glory and is open to the public at Portsmouth). He was subsequently appointed Staff Captain at R.M.A. Headquarters in 1870 and retired with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1876. Recipient of a Greenwich Hospital Pension in 1903, Macnamara died on 3 May 1917.