__NOTOC__
The Naval General Service Medal (NGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847, and issued to officers and men of the Royal Navy in 1849. The final date for submitting claims was 1 May 1851. Admiral Thomas Bladen Capel was one of the members of the board that authorised the medal.
The NGSM was awarded retrospectively for various naval actions during the period 1793–1840, a period that included the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the Anglo-American War of 1812. Each battle or campaign covered by the medal was represented by a clasp on the ribbon. The medal was never issued without a clasp, 231 of which were sanctioned. The clasps covered a variety of actions, from boat service, ship to ship skirmishes, to major fleet actions such as the Battle of Trafalgar.
This medal and its army counterpart, the Military General Service Medal, were amongst the first real British campaign medals, issued to all ranks for serving in combat actions.
Eligibility The medal was only awarded to surviving claimants. A combination of factors, from general illiteracy to limited publicity for the new medal meant that many who had survived did not apply for it. While next of kin could not apply on behalf of a deceased relative, they did receive the medal in cases where the claimant had died between their application and actual award.
The belated nature of the award meant that, for many clasps, substantially fewer medals were issued than the number of those eligible. Frequently the number of claimants for individual clasps was reckoned in single figures, and for ten clasps there were no claimants.
Sir John Hindmarsh and Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Gordon were awarded medals with seven clasps, the most awarded to any individual. Four men qualified for six clasps and fourteen for five clasps.
A baby born on board during the battle of the Glorious First of June, christened Daniel Tremendous McKenzie, applied for and received the medal with the '1 June 1794' clasp. Jane Townshend, a woman aboard at the Battle of Trafalgar, had her application for the medal initially approved. The medal was not finally awarded however, with the roll of recipients endorsed "upon further consideration this can not be allowed". An award may have set a precedent for claims by other women, mainly wives of sailors present during naval actions.
A total of 126 awards were made to officers and men of the British Army present on board HM's ships at qualifying actions. This included 26 with the 'Copenhagen 1801' clasp and 50 with the 'Syria' clasp. Of these recipients, 8 officers and 18 men also received the Military General Service Medal.
The Admiralty awarded 20,933 medals in total. Of these, 15,577 went to individuals who received a single clasp.
Appearance The medal, designed by William Wyon, is of silver and in diameter. Obverse: a left facing effigy of Queen Victoria with the inscription "VICTORIA REGINA" and the date “1848”. Reverse: The figure of Britannia, holding a trident, seated on a seahorse. Naming: The name of the recipient is impressed on the rim in block Roman capitals. Medals to officers and warrant officers also include the recipient's rank. Ribbon: The wide ribbon is white, with dark blue edges, based on the ribbon previously used for the Naval Gold Medal.
Clasps
Initially, clasps were to be awarded for eighteen Gold Medal actions, and for four amphibious operations undertaken with the army. In late 1848, a further 208 clasps were added.
A total of 231 clasps were authorised, including 176 for specific actions and 55 for Boat Service, that is service in ships' boats when boarding enemy ships or as part of a shore raiding party.
Whilst the medals were manufactured by the Royal Mint, the clasps and the smaller components of the medal were subcontracted to Hunt and Roskell.
French Revolutionary Wars
Clasp Battle or action Date Comments Nymphe 18 June 1793 Capture of French frigate Cléopâtre 18 June 1793 Britain vs. France Crescent 20 Octr. 1793 Capture of French frigate Réunion 20 October 1793 Britain vs. France Zebra 17 March 1794 Capture of Fort Saint Louis (Martinique) 20 March 1794 Britain vs. France 17 Mar. Boat Service 1794 Capture of the French frigate Bienvenue and other vessels in Fort Royal Bay (Martinique) 20 March 1794 Britain vs. France Carysfort 29 May 1794 Recapture of 29 May 1794 Unissued Britain vs France 1 June 1794 Glorious First of June 1 June 1794 Britain vs France Romney 17 June 1794 Capture of French frigate Sibylle 17 June 1794 Britain vs France 4 Jany. 1795 Capture of French frigate 5 January 1795 Britain vs France 13 March 1795 Capture of French frigate Tourterelle 13 March 1795 Britain vs France 14 March 1795 Naval Battle of Genoa (1795) 14 March 1795 Britain & Naples vs France Mosquito 9 June 1795 Capture of privateer 9 June 1795 Unissued (vessel and crew lost soon after) 16–17 June 1795 Cornwallis's Retreat 17 June 1795 Britain vs France 23 June 1795 Battle of Groix 23 June 1795 Britain vs France Dryad 13 June 1796 Capture of Proserpine 13 June 1796 Britain vs France St. Vincent Battle of Cape St Vincent (1797) 14 February 1797 Britain vs Spain San Fiorenzo 8 March 1797 Capture of Résistance 9 March 1797 Britain vs France 29 May Boat Service 1797 Boats of Minerve and capture French corvette 29 May 1797 Britain vs France Camperdown Battle of Camperdown 11 October 1797 Britain vs Holland Nile Battle of the Nile 1–3 August 1798 Britain vs France 12 Octr. 1798 Battle of Tory Island 12 October 1798 Britain vs France Telegraph 18 March 1799 Capture of French privateer Hirondelle 18 March 1799 Unissued Britain vs France Arrow 13 Sepr. 1799 Capture of Draak and Gier 13 September 1799 Britain vs Batavian Republic Wolverine 13 Sepr. 1799 Capture of Draak and Gier 13 September 1799 Unissued Britain vs Batavian Republic Courier 23 Novr. 1799 Capture of French privateer Guerrier 23 November 1799 Britain vs. France Egypt Battle of Abukir (1801), Battle of Alexandria (1801), Siege of Alexandria (1801) March – September 1801 Britain vs France Copenhagen Battle of Copenhagen (1801) 2 April 1801 Britain vs Denmark-Norway Gut of Gibraltar 12 July 1801 Battle of Algeciras Bay 12 July 1801 Britain vs France & Spain
Napoleonic Wars Clasp Battle or action Date Comments Beaver 31 March 1804 Boats of Scorpion and Beaver captured the Dutch brig Atalante 31 March 1804 Unissued Britain vs Batavian Republic Scorpion 31 March 1804 Boats of Scorpion and Beaver captured the Dutch brig Atalante 31 March 1804 Britain vs Batavian Republic San Fiorenzo 14 Feby. 1805 Capture of Psyché 14 February 1805 Britain vs France Trafalgar Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805 Britain vs France & Spain 4 Novr. 1805 Battle of Cape Ortegal 4 November 1805 Britain vs France St. Domingo Battle of San Domingo 6 February 1806 Britain vs France Blanche 18 July 1806 Capture of French frigate 18 July 1806 Britain vs France 21 Jan. Boat Service 1807 Boats of Galatea vs 21 January 1807 Britain vs France 19 April Boat Service 1807 Boats of capture a privateer 19 April 1807 UnissuedBritain vs. France Ann 24 Novr. 1807 Capture of Spanish lugger privateer and action with ten gunboats and surrender of two 24 November 1807 Unissued Britain vs Spain Sappho 2 March 1808 Capture of brig Admiral Yawl 2 March 1808 Britain vs Denmark-Norway San Fiorenzo 8 March 1808 Capture of Piémontaise 8 March 1808 Britain vs France 28 Nov. Boat Service 1808 Boats of Heureux attack a battery and capture a brig and a schooner 29 November 1808 Britain vs France 1 Jany. 1809 Recapture of 1 January 1809 Britain vs the Batavian Republic Martinique Invasion of Martinique (1809) 30 January – 24 February 1809 Britain vs France Basque Roads 1809 Battle of the Basque Roads 11–25 April 1809 Britain vs France 25 July Boat Service 1809 Boats of Fawn in action with a cutter and the schooner Guadaloupe, which they captured 25 July 1809 Unissued Britain vs France 25 July Boat Service 1809 Boats of Cerberus, Minotaur, Princess Caroline, and Prometheus capture Russian gunboats near Fredrikshamn, Gulf of Finland 25 July 1809 Britain vs Russia Guadaloupe Invasion of Guadeloupe (1810) 28 January – 6 February 1810 Britain vs France Thistle 10 Feby. 1810 Capture of Havik 10 February 1810 Unissued Britain vs The NetherlandsBoat engagement, Christian 7th Boats from HMS Christian VII, under Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke, HMS Armide and HMS Seine, attack 9 French gun-boats in the Basque Roads, capturing 1.13 February 1810Britain vs France Arrow 6 April 1811 Action with chasse-marees and batteries off the French coast 6 April 1811 Unissued Britain vs France Java Invasion of Java (1811) August – September 1811 Britain vs The Netherlands Lissa Battle of Lissa (1811) 13 March 1811 Britain vs France and Venice Anholt 27 March 1811 Battle of Anholt 27 March 1811 Britain vs Denmark-Norway Off Mardoe 6 July 1812 Battle of Lyngør 6 July 1812 Britain vs Denmark-Norway 21 March Boat Service 1813 Boats of Brev Drageren and Blazer capture gunboats Jonge-Troutman and Liebe 21 March 1813 Britain vs Denmark St Sebastian Siege of San Sebastián August – September 1813 Britain & Portugal vs France Cyane 16 Jany. 1814 Capture of Alcmène & Iphigénie 16 January 1814 Britain vs France
War of 1812
Clasp Battle or action Date Comments April & May Boat Service 1813 Boats of Marlborough, Maidstone, Dragon, Statira, Dolphin, Fantome, Mohawk, Highflyer, and Racer destroyed cannon foundry at French Town and batteries at Havre-de-Grace 28 April and 5 May 8 April Boat Service 1814 Boats of La Hogue, Endymion, Maidstone, and Boxer destroyed 27 American vessels and a quantity of stores up the Connecticut River 8 April 1814 Shannon Wh. Chesapeake Shannon vs Chesapeake 1 June 1813 Pelican 14 Augt. 1813 Capture of USS Argus 14 August 1813 Phoebe 28 March 1814 Capture of USS Essex and Essex Junior (Ex-Atlantic) 28 March 1814 Cherub 28 March 1814 Capture of USS Essex and Essex Junior (Ex-Atlantic) 28 March 1814 The Potomac 17 Augt. 1814 , , Devastation, Aetna, Meteor, Erebus, Fairy, and Anna Maria at Alexandria (Virginia) and destruction of shipping in the Potomac River 17 August 1814 3 & 6 Sept. Boat Service 1814 Boats on Lake Huron captured American schooners Tigress and Scorpion 3 & 6 September 1814 14 Dec. Boat Service 1814 Battle of Lake Borgne; boats of 16 British warships captured five American gunboats and a sloop 14 December 1814 Endymion Wh. President Endymion vs President 15 January 1815
Later battles or actions
Clasp Battle or action Date Comments Algiers Bombardment of Algiers 27 August 1816 Britain & The Netherlands vs Dey of Algiers Navarino Battle of Navarino 20 October 1827 Britain, France & Russia vs Ottoman Empire Syria Syrian War November 1840 Britain, with Austria, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia vs Egypt This is the most common clasp, with 6,978 issued
Citations
References
External links