The unique to a Royal Marines Officer Syria operations 1840, Crimean War Balaklava, Inkermann and Siege of Sebastopol, Ottoman Order of the Medjidie 5th Class and French Legion of Honour’s group awarded to Colonel David Blyth, Royal Marine Light Infantry who was present during the operations in Syria during 1840 with H.M.S. Cambridge, before later taking part in the Crimean War where he would command No.4 Battery on the heights overlooking the valley in which the Light Brigade made it’s charge, be present at the Battle of Inkermann and be present in the trenches before Sebastopol. He would receive both the Order of Medjidie and Legion of Honour for his part in the actions in Crimea and this would earn a unique group of medals to a Royal Marine Officer. He would retire as an Honorary Colonel in November 1865.
Group of 6: Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, 1 Clasp: Syria; (DAVID BLYTH. LIEUT. R.M.) Crimea Medal 1854-1855, 3 Clasps: Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol, impressed naming; (D. BLYTH. CAPT. R.M. LT. DIV.) Turkey – Ottoman Empire: Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class breast badge in silver gold and enamel; France – Second Empire: Legion D’Honneur, Chevalier’s Breast Badge in silver, gold and enamels; St. Jean D’Acre Medal 1840, in silver fitted with rings and straight bar suspension; Turkish Crimea Medal 1855, British issue, with scroll suspension as found on British Crimea Medal, unnamed. Mounted court-style for display.
Condition: the first two with contact wear and polished, mounted court-style for display, Nearly Very Fine to Good Very Fine
Provenance: Ex Jason Pilalas Collection
Along with:
Printed map of Kherson Bay and the Dnieper and Bug Rivers detailing the positions in the area.
Printed map of the country around Sebastopol showing the positions of the contending armies after the fall of the south side and before the peace of 1856.
Printed map of the Black Sea.
David Blyth was born in 1820, the son of Surgeon Alexander Blyth, R.N. He entered the Royal Marines as 2nd Lieutenant, at the Chatham Division on 18 December 1838, and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on 28 September 1842, and to Captain on 13 November 1852. He was employed in the Cambridge, Captain Edward Barnard, on the Home and Mediterranean stations from 18 February 1840 until January 1843. Whilst in the Cambridge he took part in the operations on the coast of Syria and was present at the blockade of Alexandria. For this service he was awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp 'Syria' and the silver St Jean D'Acre medal. He was next appointed to Sampson, Steamer, Captain Thomas Henderson, in the Pacific, from 24 December 1845 until December 1848; to Horatio, Captain the Hon. Swynfen Thomas Carnegie, guard ship at Sheerness, from 3 January 1852 until his promotion to the rank of Captain; and then to Leander, Captain William Peel (later V.C.) and served in the Mediterranean and Black Sea from 2 October 1853 until the close of 1855.
Whilst in Leander he was actively employed on shore during the War in the Crimea. He landed with the Royal Marine Brigade in September 1854 and remained on shore for 12 months until invalided to England in September 1855. At the battle of Balaclava he Commanded No. 4 Battery on the heights overlooking the valley in which the Light Brigade made it's famous charge against the Russian guns. He was present at the battle of Inkerman, fought in the trenches before Sebastopol, and took part in the defence of Eupattoria. He received the Crimea Medal with Clasps 'Balaklava', 'Inkerman' and 'Sebastopol', the Legion of Honour 5th Class, the Order of Medjidie 5th Class, and the Turkish Crimea Medal. These decorations and clasps in conjunction with those for the Syrian campaign produce a unique group of medals to a Royal Marine Officer.
On his return to England he served on shore at Woolwich and Chatham and was next afloat aboard Hero, March 1859. He joined Excellent in 1860 where he studied for Instructor of Gunnery, passed his Course and was appointed in this capacity to the Chatham Headquarters. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1864, he retired as Honorary Colonel in November 1865, and received a Greenwich Good Service Pension of £80 per annum in 1866. He died on 30 November 1904, aged 84.
