A Royal Marines 'Present at Bombardment of Sveaborg' & 'Special Service in China' during the Second Opium War, campaign medal pair: Sergeant George Henry Allen, Royal Marines Light Infantry latterly a Nurse at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar

- Baltic Medal 1854-55
- China Medal 1857-60, With clasp 'Canton 1857'

The medals sold together with below following archive of original related items:

- Pair of Victorian era R.M.L.I. Sergeants 'Wire Bullion' rank chevrons on cloth
- Parchment Certificate of Service;
- Parchment Naval Pension Certificate
- Letter from the Director of Navy Accounts to the recipient’s grandson
- A hand written service history in ink

Also included is a photocopied extract page from the respective Admiralty medal roll for the Baltic Medal

Medals verification: Both medals confirmed as entitled per the respective Admiralty medal rolls cited below:

- Baltic Medal 1854-55: ADM 171/19. Medal sent to Gosport, 13 May 1857
- China Medal 1857-60 with clasp 'Canton 1857': ADM 171/30. Medal sent to recipient 6 November 1862

Both medals unnamed as issued to the Royal Marines Light Infantry

George Henry Allen, son of George Allen (a Mariner) & Frances Allen, was a native of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, where he as born circa 1821. George enlisted in the Portsmouth Division, Royal Marines in 1834, at which time he was a Drummer Boy. During the Baltic Campaign he served as a Corporal aboard the ships H.M.S. Caesar & H.M.S. Porcupine during the Baltic Campaign, where he was present in Finland at the 'Bombardment of Seaborg / Sweaborg' (The Battle of Suomenlinna also known as the Battle of Viapori or the Bombardment of Sveaborg / Sweaborg) . He was subsequently advanced to Sergeant, with his certificate of service showing that he then deployed on 'Special Service' in China, in 1857, where served with No. 14 Company, Royal Marines in China, where he served variously aboard H.M.S. Calcutta and Princess Charlotte, and was present at the capture of Canton (now Guangzhou) in December, 1857, prior to being invalided with Dysentery, 24 October 1859. At the time of the 1871 National Census for England & Wales, George who was described as a 'Greenwich Pensioner' and was living with his wife Esther Allen (nee Hayden), and their five children (son's, Melville, George, Edwin & Nolan, and their daughter Blanche) at, 6 Providence Cottage, Goodworth Clatford, Hampshire, England. Latterly George served as a Nurse, and then Head Nurse, with the troop transport ship H.M.S. Jumna from September 1872 to April 1874. The 1881 National Census shows George as resident at the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, Portsmouth, where he is described as employed as a Hospital Nurse - Greenwich Pensioner. George Henry Allen is recorded to have died at, 1 Netley Street Landport, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, on, 3 September 1884

The archive good fair & better

Condition: The medals GVF

Code: 24137