THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1793-1840 WITH SYRIA CLASP TO 2ND CLASS PRIVATE JOHN CLAY, ROYAL MARINES, WHO SAW SERVICE ABOARD HMS BELLEROPHON DURING THE SYRIA OPERATIONS OF 3RD NOVEMBER 1840. Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria

THE NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1793-1840 WITH SYRIA CLASP TO 2ND CLASS PRIVATE JOHN CLAY, ROYAL MARINES, WHO SAW SERVICE ABOARD HMS BELLEROPHON DURING THE SYRIA OPERATIONS OF 3RD NOVEMBER 1840.

Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (officially named, impressed in serifed capital letters: JOHN CLAY.). Attractive light tone, scattered surface contact marks and minor rim nicks, otherwise Good Very Fine or perhaps a little better.

There are two John Clays on the Naval General Service Medal roll, the recipient of this medal and a Boy 1st class John Clay, who saw service aboard HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

Medal accompanied by copied extracts medal roll (original and published), confirming medal and clasp and that John Clay saw service as a Private 2nd class, Royal Marines aboard HMS Bellerophon during the Syria operations.

There are two John Clays on the Naval General Service Medal roll, the recipient of this medal and a Boy 1st class John Clay, who saw service aboard HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

HMS Bellerophon was originally launched as HMS Waterloo, an 80-gun third rate ship of the line launched on 16th October 1818. Renamed HMS Bellerophon in 1824, she served as the flagship as Rear Admiral Sir Charles Paget, 1836-38, and apart from seeing service during the Syria operations, the only other meaningful action she took part in was the bombardment of Sebastopol in June 1854, during the Crimean War. She was placed on harbour service as a receiving ship at Portsmouth in 1856 and sold out of the navy in 1892 for breaking up.