Description
Canada General Service Medal, bar Fenian Raid 1866, Stoker Abraham Vile, HMS Aurora, Shipwrecked on the Conqueror on the way to deliver troops to Mexico in 1861.
Officially impressed: “STOKER A. VILE. H.M.S. AURORA”
Confirmed on the roll, one of about 131 issued to the Aurora, received circa 1901, shortly before his tragic death. As such very dark toned crisp unworn condition.
A particularly rare issue to the Royal Navy,
Mr Vile saw an adventurous career at sea, spending over 20 years in a number of Her Majesty’s ships, one of his first postings on HMS Conqueror, ended in disaster when “One of the finest crew line of battle ships in her Majesty’s Service” ended up completely wrecked at the island of Rum Cay in the Bahamas during 1861.
He would then earn this medal on HMS Aurora, joining her in 1863, accompanying the ship as it guarded the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert, bearing the Prince and Princess of Wales on their Royal Visit to Copenhagen, the Baltic and then on to North America and the West Indies.
Then being ordered north to the Canadian Lakes she served off the coast of Quebec during the dangerous freezing Canadian Winter of 1866, the ship being consistently covered in ice in temperatures as low as -30c, an experience typically reserved for Arctic Explorers, she sent a number of me to crew Gun Boats along the coast in order to deter the Fenian “Gangs”.
In the summer the crew spent time in Quebec and became very popular for helping out during the Great Fire in St Roch district in October, when over 2300 houses were destroyed, the Officers and Men “Vied with each other in their endeavours to save life and property.” and the men were of “The Aurora have, by their courtesy and efficient services they have rendered during their stay, become great favourites with the citizens… The fine band has likewise lent its aid at concerts for charitable purposes, as well as citizen’s balls.”
His next ship, HMS Nassau was sent to the China Station, on Survey duties, she was almost wrecked by a dangerous typhoon off the coast of Hong Kong, before they ended up in a routine survey of Dalrymple Harbour, on the Island of Sulu, when her boats that were sent ashore were ambushed by a well-armed party of natives.
In revenge, HMS Nassau sent a formidable force ashore and ended up in a fierce battle with a Piratical bunch of “Lawless Marauders” who had been the scourge of the region for many years, said to be the remnant of the Pirates of Balignini and Borneo. The men of the Nassau burned down their village, and continued on to the Pirate Stronghold at Carang-Carang, where the ship anchored and poured in a heavy fire of shell, shot and rockets for well over 2 hours, utterly destroying the town.
The pirates flew the flag of surrender, and the Nassau proceeded to Sulu, where the Captain and his Officers were received for an audience with the Sultan who personally thanked them for finally ridding them of the “Scourge of that sea and shore for years past.”
The Illustrated News 5th October 1872 reports the event on Page 6 and on Page 4 has an excellent illustration of the Ship.
Stoker Vile was then pensioned after 20 years. Finally over 30 years after the fact, he received his first and only medal for his service, the backdated Canada General Service Medal circa 1901 for his services all those years ago in Canada during 1866.
However the next year, this old Stoker had found work in London in the Engine Room of the Mile End Workhouse, when a terrible accident occurred on Christmas Day of 1902, the poor old veteran was manning the engine when his coat got caught in the flywheel, he was sucked into the machine and it was all too late by the time the machine was stopped. The East London Observer of 3rd Jan 1903 report it as the “Christmas Day Horror”.
Mr Abraham Vile, born in Truro, Cornwall during 1839, had joined the Royal Navy at the young age of 17 as a Boy 1st Class on HMS Conqueror. He saw much service on the ship, from February 1856, until 22nd March 1862.
His 20 years at sea, service in Brief:
Born Truro, Cornwall, 1st Jan 1839
Volunteered for Navy, 12th February 1856
HMS Conqueror 12th Feb 1856 – 7th Dec 1859
HMS Impregnable, 8th Dec 1859 – 18th Jan 1860
HMS Conqueror 19th Jan 1860 – 21st March 1862 (Shipwrecked in the Bahamas at Rum Cay)
HMS Indus, 22nd March 1862 – 20 Nov 1862 (Rated as Stoker 2nd Class and immediately promoted to Stoker)
HMS Aurora, 21st November 1863 – 21st Dec 1867 (Earned this Medal, escorted the Royal Yacht Osbourne with Prince and Princess of Wales to Copenhagen and the Baltic, then to North America and West Indies. Before serving during 1866 in the Canadian lakes during the Fenian Disturbances.)
HMS Indus, 21 Dec 1867 – 3rd Oct 1868
HMS Lion, 4th Dec 1868 – 1 Nov 1869
HMS Valorous, 2nd Nov 1869 – 14th March 1870
HMS Nassau, 15 March 1870 – 9 April 1873. Served on the China Station under Commander William Chimmo, on survey duties. Hit by a typhoon off Hong Kong during September 1870. During this period the ship took on a “Nest of Pirates” in the Sulu Archipelago between the Borneo and Philippine Islands.
Whilst on routine Survey Duty the ship and her crew was attacked by a large and well armed party of natives who wounded the men. In return HMS Nassau sent a rocket ship and a landing party, burning down their village taking down a whole stronghold of pirates. The local Sultan of Sulu received the Captain and his Officers and gave them his personal thanks for having rid the place of a nest of pirates “Who had been the scourge of that sea and shore for years past.”
HMS Indus, 10th April 1873 – 10 July 1873
HMS Caledonia – 11th July 1873 – 31st Oct 1874
HMS Indus, 1st Nov 1874 – 9th May 1875
HMS Achilles, 10th May 1875 – 16th Jan 1877. Shore Pensioned, over 20 years service.
In late 1861, his ship received a new Captain, Edward Southwell Sotheby, and was tasked with delivering troops to support the French “Intervention” in Mexico (Dec 1861 – June 1867), where France and Mexican Empire, with Britain in support were taking on the Mexican Republic, aided by the United States Union.
They came close to reaching their target of the Gulf of Mexico, but instead crashed at Sumner Point Reef on Rum Cay in the Bahamas on 13th December 1861.
An embarrassing affair that lead to 1,400 shipwrecked men, who luckily all seem to have survived, however the ship itself still lays in the reef and is now a popular dive spot owned by the Bahamas Government known as the Underwater Museum of the Bahamas.
“She was 20nm out in estimating her position and, after making her landfall, cut rounding the southeast point of Rum Cay too fine and went hard on the reef.”
Her Captain, fearing that his crew (most of whom could not even swim in those days) would then drink themselves insensible when it became obvious that the ship was lost, ordered all the ale, wine and spirit casks to be broken and their contents ditched. He then had the crew unload everything they could salvage, and and set about making a camp on the island. The captain remained on board with one midshipman and 10 seamen until the ship broke up.
Then all of them less the boat parties, were left marooned on Rum Cay. They were rescued soon after the news of the disaster was known.
Thanks to Capt Sotheby’s connections and his gallant prior war services, he got off easy for the affair, he was brought up for Court Martial but made the argument that as Captain he was not the one responsible for Navigation of the ship, which was the role of its Master. The court accepted this and admonished the Master for failing to allow for the local currents and was asked to “reprimanded, and cautioned to be more careful in the future”.
Some disagreed with this judgement, and he conveniently never commanded another ship, but still did rise to Admiral.
Vile would spend Christmas and a good sober while on the small island of Rum Cay in the Bahamas, before they were rescued.
East London Observer, 3rd January 1903:
“CHRISTMAS DAY HORROR
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT MILE END WORKHOUSE
ENGINEER KILLED
A gloom was cast over the festivities at the Mile End Workhouse on Christmas Day by the shocking accident to the Engineer.
It seems that at about 4 o’clock, the officer in Question, Mr Abraham Vile, aged 60 years, was at work in the Engine Room, attending to the engines that drive the electric lighting dynamos, when his coat got caught in the flyweheel, and the unfortunate man was dragged into the machinery.
Two of the inmates were in the room, and succeeded in stopping the engines and extracting Vile.
It was then found that he had sustained shocking injuries. His face and chest were battered to a shocking extent, while fourt of his ribs were broken.
With all possible speed he was conveyed to the infirmary, where he died half an hour after his admission.
The inquest was held on Monday before the deputy coroner, Dr Houchin, when a verdict of Accidental Death was returned.
At the meeting of the Guardians on Thursday, the Master (Mr Buckeridge) reported the sad occurence, and the general regret was expressed at the terrible death of a valued officer.”
