The fine and rare Arctic Sir Erasmus Ommaney’s North West Passage Franklin Search Expedition aboard Assistance 1850 to 1851 and Anglo-Russian War Baltic 1854 pair attributed to Commander H.P. Bance, Royal Navy. Bance was born at the Cape of Good Hope, the son of naval officer from the Napoleonic Wars, Commander James Bance. He followed in his fathers footsteps and joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman aboard the frigate Eden during 1844 to 1846. As a Midshipman, Bance was aboard the Arctic discovery vessel Assistance under Captain Erasmus Ommanney between 11th April 1850 and 9th October 1851, and as such was present during a voyage to the Arctic in the search for Sir John Franklin and the missing crews of the vessels Erebus and Terror. when part of the expedition led by Horatio Austin’s to search the North West Passage. In the summer of 1850, Assistance had anchored at Cape York and taken on an Inuit guide by the name of Qalasirssuaq. One of the officers present was Leopold McClintock, who would make an extensive search during a number of sledging journey’s, however the expedition failed to find conclusive evidence of the fate of Franklin and his men, and returned to Britain in October 1851. They took their Inuit guide with them and he settled in England where he took the name Erasmus Augustine Kallihirua. Bance later saw service on and off the coast of South Africa when aboard Castor, and was then in the Baltic aboard the Algiers. Having emigrated to Australia in 1855, he remained there and as of 1857 was an inspector of country post offices, eventually rising to become the Inspector of Posts and Telegraphs at Melbourne, Victoria in 1869. Bance was still in Australia when he was allegedly murdered on 17th April 1879 by a servant who administered too much “sleeping draught” to him before robbing him.
Arctic Medal 1818-1855, rim engraved in a contemporary and known style to; (H.P. BANCE ASSISTANCE); Baltic Medal 1854-1855, unnamed as issued.
Condition: lightly polished in a matching form, overall Good Very Fine.
Henry Prescott Bance was born in 1831 at the Cape of Good Hope, now South Africa, the son of Commander James Bance, Royal Navy, who had seen service during the Napoleonic Wars. Bance followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman aboard the frigate Eden under Captain Charles Eden during 1844 to 1846. Eden was then the flagship at the Cape of Good Hope Station. He then transferred to the 80 gun ship-of-the-line Superb.
Bance then found himself aboard the Arctic discovery vessel Assistance under Captain Erasmus Ommanney between 11th April 1850 and 9th October 1851, and as such was present during a voyage to the Arctic in the search for Sir John Franklin and the missing crews of the vessels Erebus and Terror. when part of the expedition led by Horatio Austin’s to search the North West Passage. In the summer of 1850, Assistance had anchored at Cape York and taken on an Inuit guide by the name of Qalasirssuaq. One of the officers present was Leopold McClintock, who would make an extensive search during a number of sledging journey’s, however the expedition failed to find conclusive evidence of the fate of Franklin and his men, and returned to Britain in October 1851. They took their Inuit guide with them and he settled in England where he took the name Erasmus Augustine Kallihirua.
Of the 61 men who saw service aboard Assistance as part of Ommanney’s crew during Horatio Austin’s Expedition to the North West Passage in the search for Sir John Franklin 1850 to 1851, some 49 had the Arctic Medal claimed, one of whom wad Midshipman Henry Bance, who signed for his medal on 15th October 1859 through J.T. Pilcher of Woodhead & Co, who were presumably his agents. There seems to be some dispute over his Arctic Medal being engraved ‘Henry P. Bance Assistance’ or “H.P. Bance Assistance”, but as is clearly indicated here, it would appear to be the latter, certainly in the case of this example.
No doubt for his services in the Arctic, Bance was promoted to Lieutenant on 12th December 1851, between 23rd December 1851 and 22nd June 1852 he was aboard the frigate Castor, also on the Cape of Good Hope Station and participated in the operations there, for which he is entitled to the South Africa Medal 1853, and was then similarly employed at the Cape aboard the frigate Meander. Bance was latterly aboard the 91 gun ship-of-the-line Algiers between 31st May 1854 and 31st October 1854, during which period he participated in operations in the Baltic during the Anglo-Russian War. Bance was however discharged, cause not recorded, to the Royal Naval Hospital and did not serve afloat again, though he would be promoted to Commander on the Retired List on 1st January 1867.
Upon leaving the Royal Navy, he emigrated to Australia in 1855, becoming an inspector of country post offices in 1857, and eventually rising to become the Inspector of Posts and Telegraphs at Melbourne, Victoria in 1869. Bance was still in Australia when he was allegedly murdered on 17th April 1879 by a servant who administered too much “sleeping draught” to him before robbing him. The Navy List reported that his death had been reported on 20th June 1879, which, in view of the communications at that time, seems reasonable.
