The excellent Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, 1 Clasp: 16 Jul Boat Service 1806 awarded to Private John Wigginton, Royal Marines who was present aboard the boats of the Monarch on 16th July 1806 when he was present at the cutting out of the 16 gun French corvette Caeser in the Verdun Roads off the River Gironde in southern France, the whole operation being carried out under fire from enemy gun batteries on both sides of the river. The British losses in this action were heavy with 1 Master’s Mate and 7 men being killed and 4 Lieutenants and 35 men being wounded. A Midshipman and 19 men of the Revenge were made prisoners, their boat being disabled by shot and obliged to run on shore to avoid sinking.
Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, 1 Clasp: 16 Jul Boat Service 1806; (JOHN WIGGINGTON)
Condition: edge-knick to rim at 6 o’clock, otherwise Good Very Fine
Provenance: Ex Jason Pilalas Collection
John Wigginton, (note the difference of spelling on the medal), is confirmed as a Private with the Royal Marines in the boats of the Monarch and was present on 16th July 1806 when twelve boats from Commodore Sir Samuel Hood’s squadron of ships comprising, Achille, Centaur, Conqueror, Indefatigable, Iris, Monarch, Polyphemus, Prince of Wales and Revenge under the orders of Lieutenant Edward R. Sibly of the Centaur, cut out the French 16 gun corvette Ceasar in the Verdun Roads, off the River Gironde. The whole operation was carried out under fire from enemy gun batteries on both sides of the river. Lieutenant Sibly was promoted Commander for this action.
The action is also covered in the Book ‘Medals of the British Navy’ by W.H. Long which states:
‘A British Squadron of six sail of the line and a frigate under the command of Commodore Sir S. Hood in the Centaur, seventy four, was cruising off Rochefort in July, when upon learning that a convoy laden with supplies for the fleet at Brest was lying ready for sea in Verdon Road, at the entrance of the River Gironde, joined there the forty-four gun frigate Indefatigable which was watching the convoy.
The six boats from the line of battleships Conqueror, Prince of Wales, Revenge, Polyphemus, Monarch and Centaur under the command of Lieutenant E.R. Sibly of the last mentioned ship, with three boats from the Indefatigable, and three from the Isis, twelve in all, on the evening of June 15th set out from the Indefatigable for the mouth of the Gironde. At midnight they entered Verdon road and immediately attacked the French sixteen-gun brig-corvette Caesar, with a crew of eight six men, fully prepared for resistance. While cutting away the boarding netting of the brig, Lieutenant Sibly was badly wounded, but she was boarded and carried out a very gallant defence, he commander, Lieutenant Fourrre, being among the slain.
The other brig, the Teazer (late British) of fourteen guns, in the darkness of the night slipped her cable, and favoured by the wind and tide, escaped by running up the river, followed by the convoy. In the meanwhile the prize, exposed to a fire from the Teazer and the batteries on both sides of the river, worked out under the direction of Lieutenant Parker of the Indefatigable and joined the two frigates at anchor in the offing.
The British loss was rather severe, Lieutenant C. Manners of the Revenge, a master’s mate, and seven men were killed, and four Lieutenants, and thirty-five men wounded. A midshipman and nineteen men of the Revenge were made prisoners, their boat being disabled by shot and obliged to run on shore to avoid sinking.’
A unique name on the roll, 1 of 51 clasps for this action
