The New Zealand and Crimea group of four awarded to William H. Cruys, Boatswain, Royal...

The New Zealand and Crimea group of four awarded to William H. Cruys, Boatswain, Royal Navy, who won the Sardinian Medal for Bravery with the Naval Brigade at Sebastopol New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated, 1845 to 1846 (W. H. Cruys, A.B. H.M.S. Osprey); Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Wm. H. Cruys, Cap. Mn. Top H.M.S. Albion) officially engraved Hunt & Roskell naming; Al Valore Militare, Spedizione D’Oriente 1855-1856, silver, mint mark ‘F.G’ (Mr Wm. Cruys, Boatswain Nl. Be.); Turkish Crimea, British issue, unnamed, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine and rare (4) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006. Only 11 New Zealand medals issued to H.M.S. Osprey, all for 1845 to 1846. The Al Valore Militare is one of only 50 awarded to officers and men of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines for the Crimea (30 R.N., 20 R.M.). William H. Cruys, the son of William Cruys, Royal Marines, later Royal Navy, is variously stated to have been born at Portsmouth or Plymouth, in about 1825-26, and also served aboard the Stromboli at Syria, as a Boy 2nd class, aged 14 years in October 1840 (Medal). He served during the first Maori war in 1845-46, as an Able Seaman aboard the Osprey, and after further service in the Racer, joined the Albion as Captain of the Main Top in February 1851. In later musters he was advanced to Chief Boatswain’s Mate, and at the time of his Sardinian award had become Boatswain. This rare award was at the recommendation of Sir Stephen Lushington, Captain, H.M.S. Albion, Commanding the Naval Brigade, for ‘particularly praisworthy’ conduct and was also recommended by Rear Admiral Keppel. See Lot 305 for the group awarded to his father.