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

The Military General Service medal awarded to Captain George Hookey, Royal Marines, for the capture of Martinique; he was actively engaged in cutting out actions against French vessels and was several times in action with Danish gun-boats in the Baltic

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Martinique (G. Hookey, Lieut. R.M.) nearly extremely fine £12,000-£16,000

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

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Collection

J. B. Hayward, Augudt 1973; Dix Noonan Webb, June 2000.

Only three clasps for Martinique awarded to the Royal Marines, and a total of only 19 M.G.S. medals.

George Hookey served as a Volunteer 1st Class in His Majesty’s Ship Prince of Wales, from January to December 1805, and was in the general action of 22 December 1805. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines on 27 January 1806, and served in the West Indies from 1806 until 1809, including at the capture of Les Saints and Martinique, and several actions in boats cutting out French vessels and destroying batteries. From 1809 to 1811, he served on board H.M.S. Theban, blockading the French flotilla at Boulogne and was several times in action with them. He also assisted in the boats cutting out a large French lugger at Dieppe. He was promoted to Lieutenant in August 1811 and, from 1812 to 1814, served on board His Majesty’s Ship Daphne in the Baltic, and was several times in action with Danish gun-boats in the Belt. He was promoted to Captain in October 1832, was placed on half-pay in March 1836, and, from April 1836, was for many years subsequently Purveyor of the Chatham Division, Royal Marine Infirmary.