Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas

The G.C.B. pair awarded to Admiral Sir George R. Lambert, Royal Navy, 2nd in command of the expedition to Rangoon during “Commodore Lambert’s War” 1852-53

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, G.C.B. (Military) Knight Grand Cross, breast star, silver, gold and enamels by Garrard & Co., circa 1860-70, fitted with gold pin for wearing; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (G. R. Lambert. Commodore 1st Cls. “Fox”) nearly extremely fine (2) £3,000-£4,000

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

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George Lambert was Second-in-Command of the expedition to Rangoon (Second Burma War 1852), and was blamed for the start of the war. Commodore Lambert, ‘a short-tempered and impetuous Naval Commander’, dropped anchor off Rangoon on 27 November 1851 and met a number of merchants who complained that the treaty made with Burma in 1826 was being disregarded. Lambert is reported as having gone out of his way both to humiliate the Burmese and to create a situation where war was inevitable. Subsequently, ‘in his heavy handed way’, he illegally ordered the seizure of the King’s yacht, which resulted in the Burmese opening fire on British vessels: ‘And so began Commodore Lambert’s War, a consequence of his arrogance and hot temper’.

The government later published its Blue Book to justify the war ‘when an outcry followed in Parliament, [and] declared that Lambert himself bore responsibility for the succession of hostile acts which unfortunately both sides had undertaken’ (The Burma Wars 1824-66 by George Bruce refers). Despite his role in starting the conflict, Lambert was made K.C.B., and was raised to G.C.B. in 1865. He became a full Admiral in 1863 and Commander-in-Chief at the Nore in June of that year. He died in 1869.