Description
South Africa General Service Medal with 1879 clasp named to SHAH J. PITMAN. A.B.
James Pitman was born in Abbotsbury, Dorset in February 1856. He joined the Royal Navy aboard HMS Achilles as Boy 1st Class in March 1874, then as Ordinary Seaman HMS Warrior followed by HMS Duke of Wellington 1875-76.
Pitman joined HMS Shah August 1876-October 1879. In this period he would have served in the Zulu War including the Battle of Ginginlovu. In this period he would also have taken part in the engagement between the Shah and the Peruvian Ironclad Huascar on 29th May 1877.
He stayed on H.M.S. Shah until 31st October 1879. Following Shah he served on H.M.S. Duke of Wellington, H.M.S. Excellent, H.M.S. Diamond and H.M.S. Royal Adelaide. He was discharged invalided 4th October 1882. His service record can be found under the name PITTMAN.
This medal has previously been brooched and re-constituted using a contemporary copy clasp. .
