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

The impressive Victorian G.C.B. group of nine awarded to Admiral Sir William Dowell, Royal Navy, an active participant in the First and Second China Wars, against slavers in South America, with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea, where he was wounded, in action against the Japanese batteries in the Straits of Simonoseki, for which he was awarded the C.B. and Legion of Honour, and finally as Vice-Admiral during the operations in Egypt in 1882 for which he was rewarded with a K.C.B. and the thanks of Parliament

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, G.C.B. (Military) Knight Grand Cross, set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels, hallmarked London 1894, and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with sash in its Garrard & Co., London case of issue; China 1842, 2 clasps, China 1842, Canton 1857 (W. M. Dowell, Midshipman, H.M.S. Druid.) original suspension, the clasps loose on ribbon as issued; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (W. M. Dowell. Comr. H.M.S. Albion.) officially engraved naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Vice. Adml. W. M. Dowell. C.B.); France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, 4th Class, breast badge, gold and enamels; Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmanieh, 2nd Class neck badge and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels, numerous small chips and flakes to enamel; Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class, breast badge, silver, gold and enamels; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed as issued; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, light contact marks to the campaign medals, generally very fine or better (11) £8,000-£10,000

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

Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

William Montague Dowell entered the Navy as First-Class Volunteer on board the Druid 44, Captains. Lord Henry John Spencer Churchill and Henry Smith. Uniting in the operations on the Coast of China, he served in the boats in the attack upon the enemy’s works and barracks near the Macao Barrier in August 1840, and was present in the early part of 1841 at the destruction of the Bogue forts. He also, as Midshipman of the Blenheim 72, Captain Thomas Herbert - to which ship he was lent from May 41 until June 1842 - assisted in the boats at the capture of Canton, on board at the reduction of Amoy, and on shore with the small-arm men at the second capture of Chusan, and the storming of Chinghae and Ningpo. On the paying off of the Druid Dowell became attached, in the spring of 1843, to the Racer 16, on the coast of Brazil, where he was frequently engaged on boat service against slavers. He passed his examination 2 July 1845, and in the course of the following month was appointed Mate of the Eagle 50, Captain George Bohun Martin, also on the South American station. He had charge of the Eagle’s launch at the capture of Colonia; and with the small-arm men of that ship under his orders, he formed part of the garrison of Monte Video during the latter part of 1845 and for twelve months up to July 1847 was Governor and Commandant of an island in the harbour. For these services he was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1847.

When Eagle was paid off in March 1848, he was appointed to Excellent from which, after a severe course of study extending over two years, he was appointed in May 1850 Gunnery Lieutenant of Albion, going out to the Mediterranean where the ship was when the war with Russia broke out.

After some service with the Naval Brigade in course of which he was wounded, Dowell was promoted to Commander in November 1854. In the following year he married his first cousin, Caroline Johanna, daughter of Captain John Pyke, R.N. and in January 1856 he was appointed to Rodney with Captain George Knyvett Wilson, and in her went to the Crimea to bring home troops.

In August 1857 he commissioned Hornet in which he arrived in China in time to take an effective part in the reduction of Canton, when he united with Captain W. K. Hall, R.N., and Captain Mann, R.E., in placing in position, on the Dutch Folly, a battery of 2 13-inch and 2 10-inch sea-service mortars, and 2 24-pounder rockets, under the direction of Major Schomberg, R.M., the fire from which played on Magazine Hill, the City heights, and Gough’s fort, and on the other forts to the northward of the city outside the walls. In the course of the same day, at the head of his small-arm men, Captain Dowell was engaged, under Hon. Captain Cochrane of the Niger, in dislodging a large body of Chinese from two important joss-houses, and in driving them back from ridge to ridge until they reached their main force. “The gallant conduct of Commander Dowell,” observes Sir Michael Seymour in his despatch, “and of the officers and men generally in the face of greatly superior numbers, has been brought to my notice.” At the storming of the Canton, on the 29th, Captain Dowell was attached to the 3rd division of the Naval Brigade under Sir Robert M’Clure. As a reward for these services he was promoted to the rank of Captain in February 1858.

In September 1862 he commissioned the Barrosa again for the China Station and in September 1864 was specially mentioned for his gallantry and conduct in action with the batteries in the Straits of Simonoseki. On 12 September he was appointed Flag Captain to Admiral Sir Augustus Kuper in Euryalus, and on 30 November was nominated a C.B., and at the same time was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour.

Euryalus returned and was paid off in the Summer of 1865, and from 1867 to 1871 Dowell, as Commodore of the Second Class, was Commander in Chief on the West Africa Station. In 1870 he was appointed one of the Queen's Naval Aides de Camp. He became a Rear-Admiral in December 1875 and Senior Officer on the coast of Ireland 1878-80. He became Vice-Admiral in January 1880 and Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet in 1882-83, during part of which time in 1882 the Fleet was temporarily attached to the Mediterranean Command for service on the coast of Egypt, for which he was awarded the K.C.B., and the Order of Osmanieh of the Second Class, and received the thanks of Parliament.

In 1884-85 he was Commander-in-Chief in China, vacating the office on his promotion to the rank of Admiral in July 1885. In 1886 he was President of a Committee for the Revision of Naval Signals, and in 1888 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at Devonport, until August 1890 when he retired under the age limit. In 1891 he was awarded a Good Service Pension, and in the Summer of that year was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Naval Exhibition held at Chelsea, the success of which was largely due to his zealous attention. On 25 May 1895 he was created a G.C.B.

Dowell, who during his retirement lived for the most part at Ford, took an active part in the affairs of Bideford, and was a Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of Devon. In 1904 when the freedom of Bideford was bestowed on him, he said 'I came into the Navy at a time when wars little and big were going on, and I was just at the age to benefit by them. I became a young Lieutenant, young Commander, young Captain, and a young Admiral. I had many commands, and fortunately, unlike so many of my brother officers who entered the service earlier or later than myself, had many chances of distinguishing myself.’