Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Petty Officer T. W. James, Royal Navy

Abyssinia 1867 (T. W. James O.S. H.M.S. Spiteful) suspension claw lacking and crown now soldered directly to disc; Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (T. W. James, Lg. Seamn. H.M.S. Druid. 73-74); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension, impressed naming (Thos. W. James. Qr. Mr. H.M.S. Modeste) nearly very fine or better (3) £800-£1,000

Thomas William James was born at Landport, Portsmouth, on 13 August 1849. He joined the Royal Navy in 1868 as Boy 2nd Class, having previously served at sea in the Merchant Marine. On 10 September 1863, he joined H.M.S. Excellent, the gunnery training ship based at Portsmouth as Boy 2nd Class, and continued to serve until 13 November 1865, having been advanced to Boy 1st Class on 1 November. He joined H.M.S. Spiteful on 14 November 1865, a paddle sloop of 1,057 tonnes, built at Pembroke Dock in 1842. The ship sailed from Woolwich for the south-east coast of America which would be her designated patrol area for the next two years. In early 1867, Spiteful received orders to join the East Indies Squadron operating in the Red Sea area where she became one of the squadron of ships who were detached for special duty in connection with the expedition that was being assembled for action against King Theodore of Abyssinia who had imprisoned in Magdala a number of foreigners and missionaries including the British Consul, Captain Cameron. The Abyssinian War Medal was awarded to those who fought onshore as well as the crews of ships that had been on duty in the Red Sea. 180 medals were awarded to H.M.S. Spiteful, including Ordinary Seaman Thomas James who had been advanced to this rank on 13 August 1867, having reached his eighteenth birthday. To begin his adult service, he signed a ten-year Continuous Service Agreement and was granted Trained Man status on 13 November 1868, and advanced to Able Seaman on 11 August 1869. He was paid off six weeks later when the ship returned home, after being away for four years.

He rejoined H.M.S. Excellent at Portsmouth on 24 September 1869 for a twelve-month gunnery course and rated Seaman Gunner 1st Class on 1 October 1870. As Seaman Gunner, he joined H.M.S. Monarch on 28 October, an 8,320-tonne iron steam turret ship launched at Chatham Dockyard May 1868, recently commissioned and was in the process of working up. He served with this ship in the Channel Squadron for a year, following which he attended a short gunnery course at H.M.S. Excellent.

On 16 February 1872 he joined the wooden steam corvette H.M.S. Druid. When the Ashantee War began in 1873, James was landed for service on shore with the Naval Brigade, and as one of the 47 officers and men from Druid who had crossed the River Prah in the advance on Coomassie, was awarded the Ashantee War Medal with clasp ‘Coomassie’.

On 12 March 1874 he was advanced to the newly created rate of Leading Seaman, and two months later he left Druid and returned to Excellent for another twelve-month gunnery course. On requalifying as a seaman gunner, he was sent on 7 April 1875 to join H.M.S. Warrior, a ship of the first reserve fleet attached to the coast guard service at Portland. He advanced to Petty Officer 2nd Class in April 1876 and to Petty Officer 1st Class on 24 August 1876, serving two years in Warrior. On 11 May 1876, he joined H.M.S. Modeste serving on the China Station. On paying off from Modeste on 1 October 1881, he underwent a further twelve-month gunnery course at Excellent, and in the following three years he served in H.M. Ships Dart, Diamond, Royal Adelaide, and Lord Warden. On 4 September 1885 he was discharged to Haslar Hospital, Gosport, where he was found unfit and invalided from the Royal Navy after serving eighteen years’ adult service. His good service both at sea and on shore was recognised by the award of the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 11 December 1877 whilst serving on H.M.S. Modeste.

Sold with copied record of service.