Baltic Medal 1854-5

Awarded to Vice-Adm Sir Noel Stephen Fox Digby (1839-1920). Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria with a diadem, hair tied in a knot (left). Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: Britannia in a helmet holding an upright trident seated on a block ornamented with a naval gun and trophy, Russian forts of Bomarsund and Sveaborg in the distance on either side. Legend: 'BALTIC'. Exergue: '1854-1855'. Suspended from a replacement bar and yellow ribbon edged with blue, fitted with a buckle-brooch pin. Inscribed on edge: 'NOEL S.F. DIGBY, H.M.S.HASTINGS'. Mounted on a bar with three others.

Noel Stephen Fox Digby entered the Navy as cadet in 1852. During the Crimea War, he was a midshipman in HMS ‘Britannia’, flagship of Admiral Sir James Deans Dundas in the Black Sea. He was present at the bombardment of Sebastopol in 1854. He then transferred to HMS ‘Hastings’ in 1855. She was deployed to the second front in the Baltic, taking part in the bombardment of Sveaborg. Later in his career, now a commander, he served in HMS ’Rattlesnake’ during the third Anglo-Ashanti War under Commodore John Edward Commerell. He was then flag-captain to Admirals Commerell, Lord Clanwilliam and Sir Anthony Hoskins. From 1889-1892 he ran the training ship ‘Britannia’ at Dartmouth and retired in 1893 with the rank of captain but was advanced to Vice-Admiral on the retired list.

Object Details

ID: MED2614
Collection: Coins and medals
Type: War medal
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wyon, William; Wyon, Leonard Charles
Events: Crimean War, 1854-1856; Crimean War: Baltic Campaign, 1854-1855
Date made: 1855
People: Digby, Noel Stephen Fox
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm