INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL TO STOKER PETER BYRNE, H.M.S. SHANNON

Peter Byrne (sometimes 'Burns') was born at Spike Island, County Cork, Ireland, on 1 June 1823. He entered the Royal Navy as Ordinary Seaman on 18 Feb 1845, and served aboard the 90-gun second-rate ship of the line H.M.S. Rodney until 9 Mar 1849. Advanced Able Seaman, he transferred to the Royal Yacht H.M.S. Victoria and Albert, then serving aboard H.M.S. Neptune and H.M.S. Furious as a Stoker.

Byrne was present during the Crimean War and further entitled to the Crimea Medal with Sebastopol clasp, issued unnamed. He then joined the crew of H.M.S. Shannon on 21 Aug 1856, and served throughout the Indian Mutiny detached from Shannon with Peel’s Naval Brigade, for which he was awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal with two clasps. Returning from service in the Indian Mutiny, Byrne served for a short period aboard H.M.S. Hannibal and was fortunate to transfer as Boatswain to the Coast Guard on 2 Feb 1859, just months before the Hannibal faced a significant smallpox epidemic aboard ship which led to the deaths of a number of crew and Italian soldiers under the command of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Latterly, Byrne served with the Coast Guard at Seasalter on the north coast of Kent.