THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO COMMANDER JOHN BYTHESEA, ROYAL NAVY, A BALTIC SEA AWARD, HAS NOW BEEN JOINED BY THE ORDERS, DECORATION AND CAMPAIGN MEDALS. |
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12 December 2017 |
The Victoria Cross, on its own, awarded to Rear Admiral John Bythesea, Royal Navy, was sold at auction on the 19th April 2007 by Spink of London for a hammer price of £135,000. The Lord Ashcroft VC Collection purchased the Victoria Cross in 2007 and has now acquired the Bythesea Orders, decorations and campaign medals privately to make the VC group complete. ( John Bythesea was issued with the Empress of India Medal for being the Consulting Naval Officer to the Indian Government in 1877 ). For the award of the Victoria Cross [ London Gazette, 24 February 1857 ], Wardo Island, Baltic Sea, 12th August 1854, Lieutenant John Bythesea, Royal Navy ( and Stoker William Johnstone, Royal Navy ) of HMS 'Arrogant'. ( Gazetted as Commander John Bythesea, Royal Navy ).
On the 9th August 1854, having ascertained that an Aide-de-Camp of the Emperor of Russia had landed on the Island of Wardo, in charge of mail and despatches for the Russian General, Commander Bythesea obtained permission for himself and William Johnstone, a stoker, to proceed on shore with the view to intercept them. John Bythesea was invested with his Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria in Hyde Park on 26th June 1857. The background of Stoker William Johnstone is subject to some debate. Although he was gazetted thus, there was no one on the 'Arrogant's' muster list of this name. There was a Leading Stoker John Johnstone, who was born in Hannover, Germany, on the ship at the time, and this is the man usually credited with winning the Victoria Cross. However, it is doubtful that he would also have spoken Swedish. It is possible therefore, that Lieutenant Bythesea's companion was one of the foreign nationals whom Sir Charles Napier had recruited in Stockholm on the way to the Baltic, to solve the problem of an under-strength crew, and that Johnstone was an anglicised version of Johanssen. ( Source: Spink Sale Catalogue ). William Johnstone ( Johanssen? ) did not attend the first investiture of the Victoria Cross in Hyde Park on 26th June 1857, and most unusually, his VC was sent to him by registered post, whereas all the other recipients who were overseas at the time of the first investiture had their VCs presented to them personally by their Comander-in-Chief. Medal entitlement of Stoker William Johnstone - Royal Navy ( HMS 'Arrogant' )
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Iain Stewart, 12 December 2017