About the product

China Navy Sick Berth Steward Casualty

China 1900, no bar, Edwin Quance, 2nd Sick Berth Stewart, H.M.S. Centurion, a rare Sick Berth medal, stationed in Yokohama and Hong Kong Hospital, before himself falling ill of Enteric on HMS Pigmy and died.

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SKU: J7043 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
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China 1900, no bar, Edwin Quance, 2nd Sick Berth Stewart, H.M.S. Centurion, a rare Sick Berth medal, stationed in Yokohama and Hong Kong Hospital, before himself falling ill of Enteric on HMS Pigmy.

 

Officially impressed: “E. Quance. 2nd S.B.S. H.M.S. Centurion”.

 

An unusual rarity, the small number of members of the Sick Berth were not of much use sitting on the ships, so they were dropped off on arrival and Quance was posted back and forth between Yokohama and Hong Kong Hospital during the war.

 

However as the war was drawing to a close, Edwin was posted to the small ship, HMS Pigmy on 26th June 1901, where he seems to have caught the highly contagious Enteric Fever, by 17th September 1901 he was at Hong Kong Hospital, and was discharged as dead.

 

He was buried in Hong Kong Cemetery, the men of HMS Pigmy ensured he would be remembered by erecting a fine Gravestone which reads:

 

“In loving memory of Edwin Quance, 2nd Sick Berth Stewart, who died in R N Hospital Hong Kong, 17th September 1901, aged 29.

 

This stone was erected by Officers and Men of HMS Pigmy and friends.”

 


Edwin Quance was born on 31st December 1872 in Devonport. He was a Butcher by trade before attesting for the Royal Navy, and becoming a Probationary Sick Berth Assistant at HMS Vivid I on 26th December 1895.
On 4th January 1896 he was posted to Haslar Hospital for training.

 

He spent the next 4 years between HMS Vivid I and Haslar Hospital with some short ship’s postings on HMS Impregnable between March and November 1898.

 

Ready for war, Quance was posted on HMS Tamar as they made the journey to China on 30th October 1899, arriving at Hong Kong Hospital on 5th December 1899.

 

He saw the following service through the war:

 

HMS Tamar, 20th October 1899 – 4th December 1899
Hong Kong Hospital, 5th December 1899 – 11th May 1900
Yokohama Hospital, 12th May 1900 – 9th December 1900, During this time promoted to 2nd Sick Berth Stewart on 1st August 1900.
Hong Kong Hospital, 10th December 1900 – 8th March 1901
HMS Tamar, 9th March 1901 – 25th June 1901
HMS Pigmy, 26th June – 17th September 1901.