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Auction: 1025 - The Turl Collection of Naval General Service Medals 1793 - 1840
Lot: 82

The Outstanding Three Clasp N.G.S. to Colonel Henry Cox, Royal Marines, Who Was Present as Captain of Marines in H.M.S. Defence At Battle of Trafalgar, 21.10.1805 Naval General Service 1793-1840, three clasps, 1 June 1794, Egypt, Trafalgar (H. Cox, 2nd Lieut. R.M.), good very fine Estimate £ 16,000-18,000 Henry Cox served as Second Lieutenant, Royal Marines in H.M.S. Valiant during the fleet action that became known as ´The Glorious First of June´. A total of 7 Large Naval Gold Medals and Chains, and 15 Small Naval Gold Medals were awarded for this action; he served as First Lieutenant, Royal Marines in H.M.S. Romney in co-operation with the Army on and off the coast of Egypt, 1801; he also served as Captain, Royal Marines in H.M.S. Defence 74 guns (Captain G.J. Hope) during the major fleet action off Cape Trafalgar between the British fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson and the Franco-Spanish fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral P.C. de Villeneuve, 21.10.1805. At Trafalgar the Defence ´was one of the lee column led by Vice-Admiral Collingwood... for nearly half an hour she plied her guns at the French 74 Berwick; afterwards assailing the Spanish San Ildefonso, also a 74, which fought for about an hour and then struck her flag. It is fair to say that she had been previously engaged by others of the British, which contributed materially to her roll of casualties, amounting to something like 200 men killed or wounded. The Defence had thirty-six killed and wounded. Her damages were confined to shot through the mainmast, which was otherwise cut in several places. Much of her lower and topmast rigging was shot away, besides which her gaff was cut in two, and she received some injury to her hanging knees and chain plates. The Defence and her prize, anchoring that evening (as the dying Nelson had desired the fleet should do), weathered the gale that followed the battle, and thus the San Ildefonso became one of the few trophies of victory saved from the tempest on this occasion.´ (The Trafalgar Roll, The Officers, The Men, The Ships, Colonel R.H. Mackenzie refers) Colonel Henry Cox, R.M., commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Marines, 1793; advanced Captain 1803; Major 1826; retired Brevet Colonel 1829.

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£16,000