Description
India General Service 1854, bar Perak, David Barber, HMS Modeste, Royal Navy, a long serving sailor for over 20 years spending many years as Master at Arms.
Officially engraved: D. Barber. A.B. H.M.S. “Modeste”
Confirmed on the medal roll, issued to him on the Eclipse, dated 15th March 1881.
David Barber, was born on 4th July 1854 in St Pauls, Deptford, Kent.
He first joined the Royal Navy aged just 15 on 7th April 1869 at HMS Impregnable, starting off as a Boy 2nd Class.
As he was so young, his father Thomas John Barber had to sign his enlistment papers for him.
He spent 3 years on the Minotaur, becoming Boy 1st Class of 1st July 1870, then Ord Seaman on 1st Jan 1873.
Once he was of age, he joined HMS Modeste as an Ordinary Seaman serving on board from 1st January 1874 until 17th May 1877.
During his time on the ship, he was advanced to Able Seaman (A.B.) on 1st July 1875.
The Perak War took placed between 1874 and 1876, a combined Military and Naval expedition was launched by the British against the hostile Malay Chiefs of the Perak River, in the Malay Peninsula.
The first British Resident in the region, Mr J.W.W. Birch was very much disliked in the region, due to his disregard for local customs, so much so that on 2nd November 1875 he was assassinated, being speared to death while he was in the bath house of his boat, SS Dragon.
Present were a few Royal Navy vessels, the Charybdis, Egeria, Fly, Hart, Modeste, Phiolmel, Ringdove and Thistle, who provided support and were also landed as a Naval Brigade, amongst the crew who joined the Naval Brigade was the later Admiral Sir Alexander Buller GCB, an Officer on HMS Modeste during the war.
Notably the Naval Brigade played an important part was Naval Brigade manning rocket and gun batteries, serving alongside the Army who were landed there to fight.
Following the end of the war, he continued his service, spending time on many other ships, being advanced to Leading Seaman on 16th August 1879 on HMS Royal Adelaide, followed by Ships Corporal 2nd Class, on 12th Nov 1879.
Continuing in this path he became Ship’s Corporal 1st Class on 13th January 1882 on HMS Eclipse.
A few years later, he became Master at Arms on HMS Duke of Wellington, from 2nd May 1885.
Serving as Master at Arms on the Duke of Wellington (1885), HMS Repulse (1885), HMS Rupert (1885-7), Duke of Wellington (1887), HMS Thalia (1887-8 Australia), HMS Nelson (1888-9 Australia), HMS Crocodile (1889), and finally HMS Cruiser (1889-1890).
Whilst onboard HMS Cruiser, he was seemingly demoted (although retaining Good and Very Good ratings) to Ships Corporal 1st Class from 6th March 1890, followed by Able Seaman on 6th June 1891, on HMS Temeraire.
He was soon after discharged to shore and pensioned on 29th October 1892.
By the time of his discharge he was 38 years old, having been a Sailor since the age of 15 with the Royal Navy.
