The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals

Six: Crimea 1854-55, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (H. H. Edwards, Naval Cadet, H.M.S. Valorous) contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-58, no clasp (Midn. H. H. Edwards, Pearl); China 1857-60, 1 clasp, Fatshan 1857, unnamed as issued; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Comdr. H. H. Edwards, R.N. H.M.S. “Ready”); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, fitted with replacement scroll suspension; Khedive’s Star 1882, contact marks to the earlier medals, therefore nearly very fine and better (6)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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Herbert H. Edwards was born in September 1840 and joined the service as a Naval Cadet aboard H.M.S. POWERFUL on 11 May 1854, and transferred to H.M.S. VALOROUS on 14 October 1854 to take part in the Crimean War. He was present at the chase of VLADIMIR under heavy fire from the forts of Sebastopol and took part in the battle of Eupatoria and was at the shelling of the forts of Sebastopol on night of 13 April 1855, and the capture of Kertch and Kinburn.

He received promotion to Midshipman after exactly two years as a Cadet prior to joining INFLEXIBLE in August 1856. During the earlier part of the 2nd China War he was a Midshipman in one of INFLEXIBLE's boats at the destruction of flotilla of war junks at Fatshan on 1 June 1857. He also served on the China Station as a Mate aboard SCOUT during 1860, and as an Acting Lieutenant aboard RENARD during the Taeping Rebe]lion in 1862.

He served for two years aboard H.M.S. PEARL (July 1857 to June 1859) inclusive of the time her Naval Brigade was ashore during the Indian Mutiny, being present in the actions at Hurreah on 18 June 1858 (Mentioned in despatch by Captain E. S. Sotheby, R.N., dated 25 June 1858), at Bansee and Dummorrlahgenga 6-17 September 1858 (Mentioned in despatch by Commander H. D.Grant, Commanding his Detachment dated 20 September 1858), and at Mowee (Mentioned in despatch of Acting Lieutenant A. W. Ingles 15 October 1858).

He served as a Mate aboard H.M.S. SCOUT (June 1859 to August 1860) on operations in North China 1860, during which time he received promotion to Acting Sub Lieutenant. On 24 November 1860 was appointed as an Acting Lieutenant to H.M.S. RENARD, where he was made a confirmed Lieutenant on 21 March 1861. Whilst aboard RENARD he took part in the capture of Tserpoo from Taeping rebels in April 1862, and was placed in command of a guard of thirty men at the British Legation at Yeddo, when attacked by Japanese assassins attempting to kill H.M. Charge d’Affairs, Colonel E. St J. Neale, and Edwards was highly commended for his services on that occasion.

Whilst commanding a gun-boat in China he was frequently instrumental in capturing gangs of foreign piratical filibusters. After leaving RENARD in July 1863 he served for short periods in various ships, with promotion to the rank of Commander on 2 November 1874.

As Commanding Officer of H.M.S. READY on East Indian Station (1878-82) he repeatedly received the thanks of the Naval Commander-in-Chief and H.M. Political Officers for valuable services rendered to the Indian Government, mainly due to his actions taken to suppress the Slave Trade. During April 1879 Edwards caused much local consternation amongst the population of Jeddah, since he accidentally killed an arab aboard a Turkish Dhow which refused to be searched, mainly because Edwards was unaware of its nationality. In April 1879 he bombarded a fort forty miles east of Aden, occupied by a rebellious Chief who had been terrorizing the local population, driving this tyrant and his followers to pastures new.

Whilst aboard READY he ascended the River Irrawaddy, in the autumn of 1881, as far as the frontier of Upper Burma, proving practicability of ascending the river for large vessels, and subsequently received the approbation of their Lordships of the Admiralty. During this same Commission aboard READY he received a handsome gold chronometer, forwarded by the Minister of Marine for the Netherlands through the Foreign Office, for finding and saving the steamer KOENIG DER NEDERLANDEN in November 1881.

Whilst still commanding READY, he was engaged during operations ashore in Egypt for two months, 26 May to 26 July 1882, as senior officer Suez, securing the safety of European inhabitants, compelling inactivity of a hostile Egyptian squadron and preventing large quantities of munitions of war falling into Egyptian hands. He was selected by Rear Admiral Hoskins on 20 August for command of parties detailed for seizure of the Suez Canal between Port Said and Ismailia.

Rear Admiral A. H. Hoskins, in his report on the position of the Suez Canal on 20 August 1882, stated that "... I considered therefore, that to ensure safe passage of our troops it was absolutely necessary that the barges and dredgers etc should be occupied along the whole line of the Suez Canal to Ismailia, and further, that it was most desirable that the Kantara Telegraph Station should be seized and our through telegraphic communication be restored; while Arabi's communication with Syria should be stopped.

For this duty I selected Commander H. H. Edwards of H.M.S. READY as an officer thoroughly conversant with the canal, and in whose judgement I had confidence. He started at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening, 19 August, taking the necessary telegraphists, and left the parties told off for each post as he passed up...." (Vide: London Gazette 8 September 1882).

For services in Egypt he received the high approbation of the Lords of the Admiralty, and was specially promoted to Captain R.N. to date from 18 November 1882. He retired on 9 September 1887 and died 7 May 1894.