Awarded to Samuel Hood Linzee Giles (1815-1886). Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria with a diadem, hair tied in a knot (left). Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: A lion crouching to drink, a bush behind. Legend: 'SOUTH AFRICA'. Exergue: '1853'. Suspended from a cusped bar and watered silk buff ribbon with two broad blue stripes near the edge and two narrow blue inner ones. Inscribed on edge: 'S.H.L. GILES. PAYMR & PURSER'.

Samuel was born in Portsmouth, the son of Samuel Giles RN. He may have been baptised as Samuel Charles Giles - the son of Samuel Giles, purser RN and Rebecca Lindsay. Samuel Giles senior, a paymaster and purser, received the Naval General Service Medal with bars for service at the Glorious First of June in 'Culloden', the Egypt campaign of 1801 in 'Ulysses' and at the capture of Martinique in 'Astraea'.

Samuel Hood Linzee Giles' first naval service was in 'Favourite' as a clerk, joining her on 4 October 1837. He was in 'Wellesley' during the First China War and in 'Hawke' during the Crimea War. The museum does not hold Giles' medals for either of these campaigns. His service during the eighth Xhosa War as paymaster in HMS 'Styx', is recognised by medal MED0060..

Samuel H.L. Giles married Georgina Penelope Elizabeth van Fowinkel in 1844 at St George, Hanover Square and the couple has several children. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1870 and died in Kensington in 1886, where he is buried.