Ashantee Medal no clasp engraved naming LT W MARRACK RN HMS SEAGULL 73-74), South Africa Medal 1877/79 no clasp engraved naming LIEUT W MARRACK RN HMS ACTIVE, Silver Jubilee 1897 & Silver Coronation 1902 all unnamed as issued.
William Marrack was born in Penzance, Cornwall on 18 Feb 1847, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in Dec 1860. His first seagoing ship was HMS Warrior and it was in her that he was appointed Midshipman in Jul 1862. Advanced to Sub. Lt in Mar 1867, he undertook further studies at the RNC Portsmouth and on passing his examinations was appointed a Lt in Apr 1870. And it was in this rank that he joined the screw gun vessel Seagull on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Coast Station in Apr 1871. He was subsequently actively employed in the Ashantee War, when he joined the expedition to Elmina in Jun 1873, with charge of one of Seagull’s boats. And on landing, he commanded one of five companies of the Naval Brigade, services that gained him a mention in despatches (LG 15 July 1873, refers).
Following further postings on the North America and Mediterranean Stations, he joined the screw corvetteActiveat the Cape in the summer of 1878, which appointment led to his participation in operations in the Zulu War. He was subsequently highly praised by Rear-Admiral F. N. Sullivan for his command of Active in the absence of her captain in the period Nov 1878 to Mar 1879. He next served as 1st Lt of the Wolverine, flagship of Commodore J. C. Wilson in Australia, receiving advancement to Commander in Jun 1882 and appointment to the command of the guardship Valiant in Bantry Bay in the following year. Having then commanded the Linnet on the China Station, he attended a course at the RNC Greenwich and was promoted to Capt in Dec 1888. A period in command of the training ship Calypso then ensued, for which he received an Admiralty Letter of Appreciation, prior to his appointment to the command of the battleship Collingwood in 1896-97, in which he was present at the Jubilee Fleet Review. Advanced to Rear-Admiral in Jan 1902, Marrack next undertook a Senior Officer’s Course on Strategy and Tactics back at Greenwich. Having then been advanced to Vice-Admiral in Nov 1906, he was placed on the Retired List at his own request. He nonetheless retained his naval links as an Assessor to the hearing of Admiralty Appeals in the House of Lords, in which role he served until 1920. He had meanwhile been advanced to Admiral on the Retired List and died at Plymouth in Jan 1926.
Sold with copied record of service and other research.
