**SOLD** VINTAGE & RARE BRITISH NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL FOR TRAFALGAR HMS DREADNOUGHT

SOLD

Offered for sale is a 1793-1848 Naval General Service Medal to Ordinary Seaman James Mitchell, who served aboard H.M.S. Dreadnought and fought at the famous Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October, 1805.

The N.G.S.M. retains the campaign bar ‘TRAFALGAR’ and is named in engraved capitals to: JAMES MITCHELL. The medal is confirmed ON THE NGSM roll. While there are two James Mitchell’s on the roll, this is confirmed through the fact that this was sold as such at Sotheby’s in 1977 to J. Mitchell of H.M.S. Dreadnought & the other James Mitchell is a Carpenter, meaning his trade would have been entered along the medal rim. The medal shows light age, but is in generally fine condition, with sharp lines. Please view the 12 pictures here, as these show all elements of condition on the medal.

Included is the 1977 dated Sotheby’s Auction tag and bag, showing it was sold as lot 516 on the 23rd November 1977. This auction stated this was formerly the medal awarded to James Mitchell, who served aboard H.M.S. Dreadnought. This medal was sold at this particular auction for £520. Values according to the medals year book for these now run in at £6,500 to £8,000. This would take pride of place in anyone’s medal collection and we at JB Military Antiques are very proud to offer this for sale. Free world wide express postage applies to this medal.

Battle Of Trafalgar By William Lionel Wyllie Juno Tower CFB Halifax Nova Scotia

H.M.S. Dreadnought

HMS Dreadnought was built to the same design as the Neptune and Temeraire, which also served at Trafalgar. Although powerful ships they were slow sailors and could not be counted on in any action which involved a chase, but in battle their heavy armament and strength of build made them tough opponents. Dreadnought was built at Portsmouth dockyard and launched in 1801.

She served with the Channel Fleet at first, and until shortly before the Battle of Trafalgar was the flagship of Admiral Collingwood, who was regarded as bringing Dreadnought to a high state of efficiency. She was reputed to be able to fire three broadsides in 3 1/2 minutes. Collingwood transferred to the Royal Sovereign shortly before the battle, but Dreadnought remained in his division and was eighth in line between Achille and Polyphemus. It was 2 p.m. before she came into action with the French Indominatable (74 Guns) and the Spanish San Juan Nepomuceno (74 guns) which she forced to surrender in 35 minutes with her Captain dead and almost 300 casualties. Dreadnought then matched herself against a Spanish three decker, the Principe de Asturias (112 guns), and damaged her so badly that she set sail to escape with Admiral Gravina badly wounded and almost 150 other casualties. The Principe de Asturias was able to escape but the San Juan Nepomuceno was taken as a prize.

Dreadnought returned early to England as one of the less damaged ships, suffering only 7 killed and 26 wounded. She served out the remainder of the war and was not hulked until 1823, after which she was first a lazaretto at Pembroke, and after moving to Greenwich, part of the seaman’s hospital. Dreadnought was broken up on the Thames in 1857.