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

Six: Colonel David Blyth, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (David Blyth, Lieut. R.M.; Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (D. Blyth, Capt. R.M. Lt. Div.) impressed naming; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel; France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gold and enamels; St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, fitted with rings and straight bar suspension; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, fitted with Crimean suspension, mounted court-style for display, the first two with contact wear and polished, nearly very fine, otherwise good very fine (6) £4,000-£5,000

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

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Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

David Blyth was born in 1820, the son of Surgeon Alexander Blyth, R.N. He entered the Royal Marines as 2nd Lieutenant, at the Chatham Division on 18 December 1838, and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on 28 September 1842, and to Captain on 13 November 1852. He was employed in the Cambridge, Captain Edward Barnard, on the Home and Mediterranean stations from 18 February 1840 until January 1843. Whilst in the Cambridge he took part in the operations on the coast of Syria and was present at the blockade of Alexandria. For this service he was awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp 'Syria' and the silver St Jean D'Acre medal. He was next appointed to Sampson, Steamer, Captain Thomas Henderson, in the Pacific, from 24 December 1845 until December 1848; to Horatio, Captain the Hon. Swynfen Thomas Carnegie, guard ship at Sheerness, from 3 January 1852 until his promotion to the rank of Captain; and then to Leander, Captain William Peel (later V.C.) and served in the Mediterranean and Black Sea from 2 October 1853 until the close of 1855.

Whilst in Leander he was actively employed on shore during the War in the Crimea. He landed with the Royal Marine Brigade in September 1854 and remained on shore for 12 months until invalided to England in September 1855. At the battle of Balaclava he Commanded No. 4 Battery on the heights overlooking the valley in which the Light Brigade made it's famous charge against the Russian guns. He was present at the battle of Inkerman, fought in the trenches before Sebastopol, and took part in the defence of Eupattoria. He received the Crimea Medal with Clasps 'Balaclava', 'Inkerman' and 'Sebastopol', the Legion of Honour 5th Class, the Order of Medjidie 5th Class, and the Turkish Crimea Medal. These decorations and clasps in conjunction with those for the Syrian campaign produce a unique group of medals to a Royal Marine Officer.

On his return to England he served on shore at Woolwich and Chatham and was next afloat aboard Hero, March 1859. He joined Excellent in 1860 where he studied for Instructor of Gunnery, passed his Course and was appointed in this capacity to the Chatham Headquarters. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1864, he retired as Honorary Colonel in November 1865, and received a Greenwich Good Service Pension of £80 per annum in 1866. He died on 30 November 1904, aged 84.

Sold with copied record of service and other research.