AN OUTSTANDING AND NO DOUBT UNIQUE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR RELATED, ROYAL NAVY ADMIRAL’S C.B. GROUP. AFTER SERVICE IN THE BALTIC, COMMANDED THE LYNX GUNBOAT DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR, SEEING A GOOD DEAL OF ACTION IN THE SEA OF AZOFF, PROMOTED COMMANDER FOR HIS SERVICES, HE TOOK LEAVE TO AMERICA IN 1862, WHERE HE WAS TO BECOME A WELL-KNOWN CONFEDERATE BLOCKADE RUNNER. CAPTAINING THE VENUS STEAMER RUNNING THE BLOCKADE INTO WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL OCTOBER 1863 WHEN HE WAS CAPTURED AFTER A RUNNING CHASE BY UNION SHIPS, DURING WHICH VENUS WAS RUN AGROUND HAVING BEEN RIDDLED WITH SHELLS. RELEASED SHORTLY AFTER, HE COMMANDED THE HANSA, 1864-65

THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH, C.B. (MILITARY) COMPANION’S BREAST BADGE IN 22 CARAT GOLD AND ENAMELS, HALLMARKED LONDON 1875, MAKER’S MARK R.G., COMPLETE WITH NARROW GOLD SWIVEL-RING SUSPENSION AND GOLD RIBBON BUCKLE; BALTIC 1854-55 ‘LIEUT CHAS MURRAY AYNSLEY H.M.S. HOGUE.’CRIMEA 1854-56, 2 CLASP, AZOFF, SEBASTOPOL, ‘LIEUT & COMMANDER CHAS MURRAY AYNSLEY. H.M.S. LYNX.’, ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE, 5TH CLASS NECK BADGE, SILVER, GOLD AND ENAMEL, FRANCE, SECOND EMPIRE, LEGION OF HONOUR, CHEVALIER’S BREAST BADGE, SILVER, GOLD, AND ENAMEL, ENAMEL BADLY CHIPPED, TURKISH CRIMEA, BRITISH ISSUE, UNNAMED AS ISSUED. CONTAINED IN FITTED CASE

Charles Murray Aynsley was born on 21 September 1821, in Olveston, Gloucestershire and entered the Royal Navy as a 1st Class Volunteer aboard Barham (50) in 1835. In August 1837, Barham was reported to be at Valencia, where it is reported there had been some skirmishes with the forces fighting against the Queen of Spain during the Carlist War. Next serving as Midshipman in Rodney (92) in the Mediterranean, he was appointed to Curacoa (26), as Mate, serving on the South American Station and passing his examination in July 1841. From March 1843, he served with Scout 18, commanded by his cousin, Hon. J. R. Drummond on the Mediterranean station until paid off in August 1845. Promoted Lieutenant on 6 December 1845, his next appointments were to Terrible Steam Frigate, on the home and Mediterranean stations, December 1845 to September 1849 and of 1st Lieutenant of Alarm (26), March 1851 to June 1852, attached to the force in South America and the West Indies. In September 1852, Aynsley was appointed to Hogue (60), which was then employed as a guardship at Devonport, Portsmouth and Cork……………..

SEE PDF FOR FULL WRITE UP

THE MEDALS

The Crimea and Baltic medals are both finely and undoubtably contemporary engraved, each in different hand, which is to be expected from medals issued at different times. When comparing to known officially engraved examples by Hunt and Roskell, it is almost certainly these are the work of these engravers, who as private jewelers, engraved many a medal of that period. Both medals show some light contact wear, especially around 3 and 9 o’clock, the Crimea with a small EK above the surname.

Condition generally VF, couple of small EK’s, Legion D’honneur less so, with chips to enamel, this poorly repaired. Medals contained in a fitted case, no doubt made top fit by a previous collector. Sold with an extremely fine file detailed of research put together by the vendor.

A superb and no doubt unique group to Royal Navy Officer who saw a good deal of service during the Russian War and went on to become a well-known Confederate blockade runner during the American Civil War.