Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas (Part I)

The Naval General Service medal awarded to Major William Bleamire, 49th Regiment, for his service aboard H.M.S. Polyphemus at the battle of Copenhagen

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Copenhagen 1801 (Wm. B. Bleamire, Capt. 49th Regt.) original frosted finish, some very minor scuffing, otherwise extremely fine and extremely rare £10,000-£14,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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Dix Noonan Webb, June 2000.

Captain William Bird Bleamire, 49th Foot, was present at the battle of Copenhagen aboard H.M.S. Polyphemus. 23 medals were issued to the 49th Foot for Copenhagen, together with two to the Rifles and one to the Artillery.

The 49th Foot, under Colonel Brock, together with two companies of the Rifle Corps, and a detachment of Artillery, were embarked aboard various ships of the fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson as second-in-command. It was during this engagement that Nelson famously ignored Parker’s signal of recall when, with his glass to his blind eye, he said, ‘I have a right to be blind sometimes... I really do not see the signal.’

William Bird Bleamire was appointed Ensign in the 49th (or Hertfordshire) Regiment on 3 September 1795; Lieutenant on 22 February 1796; Captain on 23 September 1797; and Major on 6 August 1803. He appears in the 1806 Army List as Major in the 49th Regiment, but is not traced in the 1807 Army List. Major Bleamire died at Bath on 22 March 1850, aged 71.