Pair: Hon. Colonel W. W. Allnutt, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who gained four 'mentions'...

Pair: Hon. Colonel W. W. Allnutt, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who gained four ‘mentions’ and special promotion in the Second Opium War 1857-60, and three ‘mentions’ in the Ashantee operations of 1873-74

China 1857-60, 3 clasps, Fatshan 1857, Canton 1857, Taku Forts 1858, unnamed as issued; Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (Capt: W. W. Allnutt, R.M.L.I., H.M.S. Simoom. 73-74) good very fine (2) £1,000-£1,400
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Importation Duty
This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK
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Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000.

William Winkworth Allnutt was born in Reading, Berkshire, on 16 April 1837, and entered the Royal Marines as a 2nd Lieutenant at Portsmouth in April 1855.

Embarked for services on the China Station in H.M.S. Calcutta in March 1856, he remained actively employed throughout the Second Opium War, when he was landed for service in the Royal Marine Brigade during 1856-58. His service record notes that he was present at the first assault on Canton, the capture of the Dutch Folly Forts and 25 war junks, the occupation of Macao Fort, the action at Fatshan Creek, the second assault on Canton, the capture of Pie Ho Forts and the advance on Tientsin. For these services he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in July 1858 and was four times mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes of 25 October 1856, 6 January 1857, 28 July 1858 and 1 August 1858, refer).

Returning home at the end of 1859, Allnutt served in the Channel Squadron until 1861, when he took up an appointment at Woolwich. Having then been advanced to Captain in August 1867, and been attached to Plymouth Division, he served on the North America and West Indies Stations in the Liffey. But he was serving back at Chatham when ordered to the Gold Coast in the summer of 1873, where he is listed as serving aboard Simoom, Active and Congo mail Steamer.

Landed for service with the Royal Marine Brigade, he commanded the 1st Company of the R.M.L.I. at the destruction of the town of Essaman, in addition to other villages, operations conducted under the command of Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley; his service record notes that he was twice mentioned in despatches. And likewise notes a third ‘mention’ for his command of the Royal Marines in the subsequent action at Assayboo and at the relief and subsequent occupation of Abrakrampa.

By this time the adverse climatic conditions were beginning to take their toll on Naval and Marine Brigade personnel and, in November 1873, Allnutt was sent back to Cape Coast Castle. Surveyed aboard Druid, he was found to be suffering from dysentery and debility, consequent of Gold Coast fever, and he was invalided home. Re-surveyed at Chatham Hospital on his arrival, he was granted three month’s sick leave, but it was not until his appointment to the Warrior in late 1875 – today restored in all her splendour at Portsmouth – that he appears to have recovered from his ailments.

Advanced to Major in April 1879, he held staff appointments at Gosport and Portsmouth Headquarters, in addition to a tour of duty in the Asia and was given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1883. But early in the following year he was found physically unfit for further service and placed on the Retired List as an Honorary Colonel.

He died in Bournemouth in October 1890, aged 53 years, an obituary notice being published in the United Services Gazette in the same month.

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