Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Quartermaster H. C. Shute, Royal Navy

Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (H. C. Shute, A.B. H.M.S. Bellerophon) contemporary engraved naming, clasp loose as issued; China 1857-60, 4 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, Taku Forts 1860, unnamed, last clasp loose as issued; Turkish Crimea, British issued, unnamed, very fine (4) £450-500

Only 57 four-clasp China medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Henry C. Shute was born at Portsea, Hampshire, on 17 February 1835, and joined the Royal Navy on 21 June 1852. He served aboard the Retribution in the Baltic, aboard the Bellerophon during the Crimean War, and in April 1855 joined the Hawke. In July 1856 he joined the Gunboat Opossum as an Able Seaman, being promoted to Quartermaster in February 1860. In this ship he took part in the operations in China from 1857-60, earning four clasps to his China medal (confirmed in Naval Medals 1857-80, Capt. K. J. Douglas-Morris). Sold with copy service record and other research.