The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals

Five: Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (H. J. Tanner, Gunr., R.M.A.); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (2651 Gnr. H. J. Tanner, R.M.A.); 1914 Star (R.M.A. 2651 Gunner H. J. Tanner, R.M. Brigade); British War and Victory Medals (R.M.A. 2651 Gr. H. J. Tanner) light contact marks, very fine or better and very rare (5)

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

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Only 33 King’s South Africa medals to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Harry Tanner was born in Lambeth, London, on 1 March 1867. He was employed as a messenger prior to joining the Royal Marines on 1 September 1885 and did not make a good start, being sentenced to 14 days imprisonment just seven days later. Following training at the Recruit Depot at Walmer he transferred as a Gunner to the Royal Marine Artillery on 22 April 1896 and embarked in his first ship H.M.S. CONQUEROR on 5 July 1887. He returned to the R.M.A. Depot in September and next served in RUPERT from 1 October 1887 until disembarked ashore on 1 October 1888. He was next embarked in INVINCIBLE (September 1889), returned to the Depot in November 1889 and joined TRIUMPH from 4 February 1890 to 19 April 1892. Following a period of shore duty at the R.M.A. Depot he next embarked in ROYAL ARTHUR on 2 March 1893 and served in this ship until 15 October 1899 having been successively borne on the books of H.M. Ships IMPERIEUSE and WARSPITE.

He returned to the R.M.A. Depot on 16 October 1899 and was one of the very small number of Royal Marines seconded for service with the Army in South Africa 1900-1902. His service record carries the note ‘3 February 1900 to 11 April 1902 attendant to Major Barnes on active service in South Africa’. On return to England in 1902 he continued to serve at the R.M.A. Depot until he was discharged to shore ‘time expired’ on 14 September 1906. He joined the R.F.R. on 19 January 1907, and was mobilised on 2 August 1914 to serve with the Royal Marine Brigade at Ostend (27 to 31 August 1914). He next joined CYCLOPS (December 1914), ROYAL ARTHUR (January 1915), and CYCLOPS II (October 1915) serving in this posting until 21 February 1919 when he returned to the Royal Marine Artillery Depot prior to being demobilised and discharged from the R.F.R. on 28 March 1919. He was never awarded his L.S. & G.C. medal having been convicted of a series of misdemeanours and sentenced to 14 days cells in September 1885. Despite receiving consecutive ‘very good’ assessments for 20 years his chances were again spoiled with the assessments of only ‘good’ in 1898.