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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 122

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 2 clasps, Benin River 1894. Brass River 1895 (S. Saunders, Lg. Sign., H.M.S. Widgeon.), very fine

There are 42 Benin River 1894 clasps awarded to the crew of Widgeon and 71 from Brass River 1895.

Stephen Saunders was born at Belfast, County Down, Ireland on 24 November 1905 and enlisted with the Royal Navy on 14 April 1887 as Boy Class II with the service number 140695. He was soon appointed Boy (Signals) and later Signalman, reaching the rank of Leading Signalman with Widgeon on 9 October 1893. With her he was part of the landing party which attacked Chief Nanna Oloma of the Jekiri tribe and destroyed his capital of Brohimi.

The next year he also joined the expedition against King Koko whose tribe had attacked and burned the Royal Niger Company's station at Akassa, killing over forty people. Four ships including Widgeon responded attacking the King's capital at Nimbe and destroying it, again Saunders was part of the action. He went ashore in 1897 and was promoted 2nd Yeoman of Signals there.

He continued to serve, briefly joining the Coastguard at King's Town, Northern Ireland as a Boatman in 1900 but returned to the Royal Navy with his old rank in 1906. Posted to the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1912 as Yeoman of Signals he was mobilised for service in the Great War on 9 August 1914. He entered the war with the Battleship Glory in September in the Dardanelles and served with her prior to her being posted to the British North Russia Squadron. He was finally discharged on 25 May 1919; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£480

Starting price
£170