A Unique Medal in the Museum’s Collection: The Story of the Naval General Service Medal
In April, 1801, the naval Battle of Copenhagen took place. Amid fears that the powerful Dano-Norwegian fleet would ally with France, a British fleet set out to confront them. Accompanying this expedition was one company of the Experimental Corps of Riflemen (later the 95th Rifles), under the command of Captain Sidney Beckwith, together with the 49th Regiment of Foot (later The Berkshire Regiment) and a detachment of artillery.
Nelson led the attack on the Danish and Norwegian ships and land batteries near Copenhagen, refusing to retreat when the order was given. After heavy resistance from the Danish, superior British firepower eventually won out and the Danish surrendered.
For their part in this action, surviving participants of all ranks were eligible for the Naval General Service Medal (1847), awarded retrospectively for naval actions during the period 1793–1840.
This example from the museum was awarded to Private (Rifleman) J. Steff, or Stiff, bearing the ‘Copenhagen 1801’ clasp. Despite the presence of a whole company of the Experimental Corps of Riflemen, only two medals were awarded to soldiers from the regiment. Claims for the medal had to be submitted by survivors, and could not be issued to next of kin. In addition, low levels of literacy and a lack of publicity surrounding the medal meant that far fewer men claimed the medal than were eligible to do so.
Unique among the museum’s medal collection, this naval award illustrates the broad presence of the antecedent regiments of the Rifles throughout their long history.
Item Details
Description: Royal Naval General Service Medal with Copenhagen clasp, awarded to Private (Rifleman) J. Steff (or Stiff). Obverse: a left facing effigy of Queen Victoria with the inscription “VICTORIA REGINA” and the date “1848”. Reverse: Britannia seated on a seahorse. The cap badge is an unofficial adornment to the medal.
