The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (157375, A.B. J. Nightingale, H.M.S. Terrible) officially engraved naming, very fine

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

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John Nightingale was born on 26 June 1874 in Mile End, London. He was a stevedore before joining the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. ST VINCENT on 10 September 1890, advanced to Boy 1st Class on 19 November 1891. He joined FEARLESS (May 1892) and whilst in this ship was advanced to Ordinary Seaman on 26 June 1892 and to Able Seaman on 1 August 1893. He served the remainder of his career in this rank aboard VICTORY I (October 1894), EXCELLENT (January 1895), VERNON (September 1895), HOOD (August 1896), VICTORY I (October 1896), and TERRIBLE (March 1898) and landed from the latter ship for service with the Naval Brigade in South Africa. He subsequently joined PHILOMEL (March 1900), DUKE OF WELLINGTON (April 1900), EXCELLENT (December 1900), DUKE OF WELLINGTON (March 1901), VICTORY (July 1901), DUKE OF WELLINGTON (September 1901), BRILLIANT (October 1901), and DUKE OF WELLINGTON (September 1902). Invalided and pensioned ashore from FIRE QUEEN on 5 November 1903, he forfeited all chances of receiving the L.S. & G.C. medal with a number of character assessments of ‘fair’ or ‘good’ and having been sentenced to 10 days cells on two occasions.