The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to John D. Lambeth for his services as...

The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to John D. Lambeth for his services as Landsman on board the Namur on 4 November 1805, as Ordinary Seaman on board the Valiant at Basque Roads, and as Able Seaman in the boats of the same ship at the capture of two French brigs in September 1810 Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, 4 Novr. 1805, Basque Roads 1809, 27 Sep Boat Service 1810 (Jno. D. Lambeth) the last four letters of surname corrected from ‘Lambert’, edge bruise and scratch to obverse, otherwise very fine £5,000-£7,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- 33 clasps issued for the Boat Service action on 27 September 1810. ‘On the night of September 27th, the boats of the Caledonia, one hundred-and-twenty, Captain Sir H. Neale, Valiant, seventy-four, Captain R. Oliver; and Armide, thirty-eight, Captain R. Dunn, lying in Basque Roads, were despatched under the orders of First Lieutenant Hamilton of the Caledonia, to take or destroy three brigs laden with Government stores, anchored under the protection of a strong battery at Pointe du Ché. As it was known that the enemy had strengthened the position with field pieces, and that a strong body of troops was assembled for the protection of the vessels, a party of one hundred and thirty marines, commanded by Captains T. Sherman and McLachlan, with Lieutenant Little, was added to the seamen from the three ships. At half-past two the marines were landed under Pointe du Ché, but the alarm was given by the brigs, and under a smart fire Lieutenant Little advanced, captured the battery and spiked the guns. In the meantime Captain Sherman took position on the main road, facing the village of Angoulin, supported by one of the launches with an eighteen-pounder carronade. The enemy advanced from the village and attacked him, but were driven back with loss. The French then made another attempt with a field piece, but were charged with the bayonet, put to flight, and the gun taken. While this was going on, the seamen had captured two of the brigs, and destroyed the other, and the party re-embarked without losing a man. Lieutenant Little and one man were wounded. The enemy left fourteen dead in the battery, but what loss they sustained from the fire of Captain Sherman's division and the launch could not be ascertained.’ (Medals of the British Navy by W. H. Long refers). John Lambeth/Lambert is confirmed on the rolls as Landsman aboard Namur at Strachan’s action on 4 November 1805, as Ordinary Seaman aboard the Valiant at Basque Roads, and as Able Seaman in the boats of the same ship the capture of two French brigs off Point du Ché, in the Basque Roads, by boats from Armide, Caledonia and Valiant. He is shown as Lambeth on all ship’s books but incorrectly as Lambert on the clasp application list for 4 November 1805, and as Lambeth on the clasp application lists for the two latter clasps. He consequently has two entries in the Colin Message roll who describes him as a ‘man of mystery’. Sold with copied muster lists and some professional research.