India General Service 1854-95, Burma 1885-7. Douglas. R.N.

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (T. Douglas, Captn. M. Top, H.M.S. Bacchante.), suspension slightly slack, Near extremely fine.

One of 253 Burma 1885-7 clasps issued to the ship.

Thomas Douglas was born at Walsall, Staffordshire on 10 June 1856 and entered the Royal Navy as Boy Class II on 1 January 1873. Reaching his majority with the depot ship Royal Adelaide in October 1874 he was further advanced Able Seaman the next year.

Joining Bacchante on 4 April 1885 as Captain of the Mizzen Top he was still with her on the outbreak of the Third Anglo-Burmese War. Bacchante was posted to the Irrawaddy River where around a three-quarters of her compliment were posted to serve ashore or in small boats on cutting out expeditions.

Douglas left Bacchante in 1887 and served for several more years. However he made more than one visit to the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar in that time and it became clear his health was deteriorating. This led to his being invalided from the Navy from Haslar on 6 November 1891; sold together with a copied medal roll and service papers.