The rare and superb Ashantee War, Egyptian War bombardment of Alexandria and Battle of Tokar, Third Burma War, Boer War and Great War group awarded to Paymaster in Chief W.R. Dodridge, Royal Navy who saw service with H.M.S. Deacon during the Ashantee War of 1873 to 1874 and then was aboard H.M.S. Cygnet during the bombardment of Alexandria on 11th July 1882. He would go on to see service in the Third Burma War before returning to Egypt where he would serve at Tokar, becoming 1 of just 14 Royal Navy Officers to receive the Tokar Clasp to the Khedive’s Star and 1 of just 7 from H.M.S. Dolphin with whom he was serving at the time. He would later see service aboard H.M.S. Gibraltar during the Boer War before seeing service ashore during the Great War as Paymaster in Chief.
Group of 7: Ashantee Medal 1873-1874, no clasp; (W.R. DODRIDGE. CLERK. R.N. H.M.S. BEACON. 73-73); Egypt Medal 1882-1889, dated reverse, 1 Clasp: Alexandria 11th July, the rank officially corrected; (W.R. DODRIDGE. AST. PAYMR. R.N. H.M.S. CYGNET.) India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 1 Clasp: Burma 1885-7; officially impressed naming; (W. DODRIDGE. ASST. PAYMR. R.N. H.M.S. BACCHANTE); Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, no clasp; (ST. PAYMR. W.R. DODRIDGE. R.N. H.M.S. GIBRALTAR.) British War Medal; (PAYR MR. IN CH. W.R. DODRIDGE. R.N.) Coronation Medal 1911, unnamed as issued. Khedive’s Star, dated 1882 with Tokar clasp, unnamed as issued. Mounted for display.
Condition: official correction to rank to Egypt Medal, court-mounted for display, Good Very Fine
Provenance: Ex Jason Pilalas Collection
William Reid Dodridge was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 6th July 1853. He joined the Royal Navy in December 1870, initially serving as an Assistant Clerk, before being promoted to Clerk in December 1871, and then Assistant Paymaster in December 1874 having seen service in West Africa at the Gold Coast during the Ashantee War of 1873 to 1874. Subsequently he would be serving aboard H.M.S. Cygnet during the Egyptian War and would be present at the bombardment of Alexandria on 11th July 1882 where the Cygnet having engaged with the Ras-el-Tin forts during the early part of the day. He would then be present on operations during the Third Burma War of 1885 to 1887.
He would be promoted to Paymaster in June 1890 and would be present at the action at Tokar in the Sudan on 19th February 1891 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Dolphin. His presence at this action would lead to him becoming 1 of just 14 Royal Navy Officers, 7 of which were serving with H.M.S. Dolphin, to be awarded the Tokar Clasp to the Khedives Star. Dodridge was paymaster of the Dolphin from September 1890 until October 1893.
He would be promoted Staff Paymaster in June 1896 and Fleet Paymaster in June 1898. He would reach the pinnacle of his profession on promotion to Paymaster in Chief in 1909 , which rank was later changed to Paymaster Captain. He retired in 1911 after 40 years service.
He would be recalled for service in WW1 and served on shore at President and Fisgard, receiving the British War Medal. He died on 5th January 1928, aged 75.
