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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 366

Three: Leading Seaman T. Rooney, Royal Navy, who saw intense service on anti-slavery patrols from Zanzibar with Turquoise between 1884-1890

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, no clasp undated reverse (T. Rooney. A.B. H.M.S. Turquoise.); India General Service 1854-1895, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (T. Rooney, Ldg. Seaman, H.M.S. Turquoise.); Khedive's Star 1884-6 (T. Rooney.), minor contact wear, overall good very fine (3)

Thomas Rooney was born at Lesmahagow, Lanark on January 1861 and enlisted with the Royal Navy as Boy Class II with Aurora on 1 June 1876, being given the service number 96518. Reaching his majority with Cygnet in 1879 he was further advanced Able Seaman on 30 June 1882 with the same vessel.

Posted to the corvette Turquoise on 20 May 1884 he was with her during her time stationed at Zanzibar where she hunted and engaged slave ships off the coast of Africa. During this time she was very active, taking five slavers between 1884-1885.

Arriving at Rangoon just prior to the Third-Anglo Burmese War Turquoise was one of the first vessels to provide a Naval Brigade to British forces in the area. She not only supplied guns and gunners to the Army on land but also outfitted boats with men and weapons to patrol the Irrawaddy River. This latter role proved to be the most successful as an article from the Launceston Examiner makes clear, stating:

'News has been received that the launch of her Majesty's corvette Turquoise has succeeded in capturing a Burmese man-of-war in the Irrawaddy River. The capture was effected in a most brilliant manner.'

Rooney's service papers state that he was appointed 'Cap Gun' on 18 June 1885 not long after being appointed Leading Seaman although whether this means he was commanding a gun or not is unclear. Regardless he remained with the ship after the war when she returned to station off Zanzibar and hunting slave ships, between 1886-1890 she took another ten. This was a dangerous venture, at one point Turquoise's launch was rammed by a slaver attempting to flee, despite this the vessel proved most adept.

Rooney returned to the rank of Able Seaman in December 1886 and was court-marshalled on 2 June 1887. He returned to the rank of Leading Seaman the next year aboard Tamar before being advanced Petty Officer Class II on 1 June 1889. Serving in this rank for a little over a year he was invalided on 5 September 1890; sold together with copied research including service papers and an extract from the Launceston Examiner.

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Sold for
£550

Starting price
£170