Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee

Family group:

China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857 (Edwd. Pyle, Capt. Cox.), contemporary engraved naming, contact marks and edge bruising, good fine

Pair: Petty Officer 1st Class E. Pyle, Royal Navy

Egypt 1882-89, dated reverse, 3 clasps, Alexandria 11th July, Suakin 1884, El-Teb-Tamaai (Ord. 2 Cl., H.M.S. Hecla); Khedive’s Star 1882, contact marks and edge bruising, about very fine or better and rare (3) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee.

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Collection

A little over 80 men of the R.N. and R.M. received the Egypt 1882-89 Medal with this combination of clasps.

Edward Pyle, Snr., was born at Farlington, near Horndean in March 1834 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 1st Class in February 1850. He subsequently witnessed active service as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Rodney in the Crimea War, when he was seconded to the Naval Brigade and fought at Inkermann and Sebastopol, and again aboard the Acorn as a Captain’s Coxswain during the Second China War in 1857, when he was present at the operations before Fatshan and Canton. Pyle was invalided and pensioned ashore in June 1875.

Edward Pyle, Jnr., was born at Fareham, Hampshire in December 1863 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in May 1880. He subsequently witnessed active service aboard H.M.S. Hecla during the Egypt operations of 1882, including the bombardment of Alexandria, and again in the Suakin operations of 1884, when he was landed for service in the Naval Brigade and present at the Battles of El-Teb and Tamaai. Pyle was pensioned ashore as a Petty Officer 1st Class in December 1891, having completed his engagement.