The important Army of India Medal awarded to Rear-Admiral William Burnett Dobson, Royal...

The important Army of India Medal awarded to Rear-Admiral William Burnett Dobson, Royal Navy, who had a ‘brilliant record’ in the Burma campaign of 1824-26, in which he was wounded, six times ‘mentioned’ and specially promoted to Commander: evidence of his outstanding service is to be found in his 10-page entry in Marshall’s Naval Biography Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Ava (Lieut. W. B. Dobson.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, nearly extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000. Just 27 officers of the Royal Navy received the Army of India Medal with Ava clasp. William Burdett Dobson was the son of Admiral of the White Man Dobson (1755-1847), a distinguished officer who had served in the American War of Independence. William Dobson entered the Royal Navy as a Volunteer 1st Class aboard H.M.S. Africa in December 1806 and was present at the unsuccessful attack mounted against Buenos Aires in July 1807. On 23 February 1808, he was transferred as Midshipman to the Polythemus, in which ship he was present at the capture of the French 74-gun ship D’Haupoult and the surrender of the city of St. Domingo. Advanced to Master’s Mate in July 1810, he was next appointed to the Hyperion on fishery protection duties off Greenland, in the course of which his ship was frozen up in the harbour of St. John’s, Newfoundland for four months during the winter of 1812; while still serving aboard Hyperion he was also given charge of prizes of 400 and 500 tons each. Next appointed to Royal Sovereign in the rank of Lieutenant in January 1814, Dobson was employed at the blockade of Toulon. Having then removed to the Tanais in September of the same year, he served off the Irish coast and in the West Indies before joining the Cadmus on the North Sea Station in December 1816. In April 1823, Dobson joined the Larne as her senior Lieutenant, under the command of Frederick Marryat, the famous author. And it was in Larne – and other vessels - that he was to serve with distinction in the war in Ava 1824-26, his ‘brilliant record’ of ‘zeal, ability and gallantry’ being the subject of continuous mention by his superiors. Among other actions he was present at the capture of Rangoon and of Dallah in May 1824, in which latter operations he captured ‘35 large boats and various cargoes.’ Subsequently, whilst in charge of the armed transport Satellite, he had command of all the shipping at Rangoon and was ‘most arduously and hazardously employed from August to November, ten miles in advance of the other men of war, and three miles above the advanced position of the Army.’ O’Byrne continues: ‘On 4 August 1824, he assisted in capturing the fort of Syriam where the natives had stockaded themselves. He was wounded in the hand in September while contributing to the capture of Penang, and in October he distinguished himself in a brilliant and decisive attack on the fortified village of Than-ta-bain. From 30 November to 9 December whilst still in command of Satellite he was constantly in collision with the enemy near Dallah, at the final assault on the works of which place he headed the soldiery and was nearly the first to enter. On 6 February 1825, he was further instrumental in the capture of a large 36 gun stockade at Than-ta-bain, by laying Satellite in a position to enfilade the strongest of the enemy’s works, and from 5 March to 19 April he was entrusted with the command of the Naval Station at Panland, with the responsible duty of forwarding supplies for the whole of the combined force during its advance on Ava. His name appears several times in the London Gazette. He was recommended to the Lords of the Admiralty and by the Commander in Chief of the forces in Ava, Sir Archibald Campbell. As a reward for these services, he was promoted to Commander and given command of Larne on 25 July 1825. After leaving Ava the ship visited New Zealand and other places before the crew was paid off, on 4 April 1827. He was next appointed to the command of Hyperion 42-gun warship, on 23 July 1830, in which ship he was employed in blockade services against smugglers off Newhaven. He relinquished this duty in May 1831 and was subsequently employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard from 25 May 1834 to July 1837. He attained Post rank on 23 November 1841 as Captain of Royal William, a 120-gun 1st rate ship of the line, and subsequently went on half-pay. He eventually retired with the rank of Rear-Admiral and was placed on the half-pay lists of Flag Officers of the Reserve, on 12 April 1862.’ Sold with copied research.