Full medal write up
NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE 1793-1840, 1 CLASP, SYRIA ‘R. WHITEBREAD’, ROYAL NAVY L.S. & G.C. MEDAL, V.R., WIDE SUSPENSION ‘CAPNS. COXN., H.M.S. RACOON, 20 YRS.’ ST. JEAN D’ACRE 1840, contemporary silvered replacement.
Robert Whithead was born in London in May 1823 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 1st Class aboard the Cambridge in March 1840. Quickly witnessing active service in the Syria operations of the same year, between 1843 and 1846 he served on the 16 gun brig sloop Sappho, witnessing a good deal of active anti slaver service of the coast if Africa, his ship making numerous captures. Gaining Petty Officer status as a Captain of the Maintop in November 1847, serving variously thereafter in the rates of Yeoman of the Signals, Quarter-Master and, between 1855 and 1859, he again witnessed a good deal of active anti slaver service of the coast if Africa with the 4 gun sloop, Alecto and in June 1861, reached his final rating as Captain’s Coxswain.
During his service, his foreign commissions took him to the Mediterraean, the Cape and the Pacific, and he saw further active service during the siege of Petropaulovski in Kamtschatka in September 1854 (Virago had no medal entitlement). Whitehead was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal on being pensioned ashore from the Racoon in January 1862.
Condition first polished, NVF, second VF or better. The D’Acre a contemporary silvered replacement, would have been originally issued a bronze medal. With copy service etc.