Probably thought he lost his first set in the sinking of HMS Majestic in WW1.
Queen’s South Africa, 1899-1902 no clasp officially impressed named 181255 R CARSON AB HMS REDBREAST & Queen’s South Africa, 1899-1902, no clasp officially impressed later small letter type named 181255 R CARSON AB HMS REDBREAST.
Africa General Service Medal clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 named 181255 R CARSON AB HMS REDBREAST & Africa General Service Medal clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 named 181255 R CARSON AB HMS REDBREAST.
The book ‘The Queen’s South Africa Medal to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines’ by Fevyer & Wilson confirms that ‘two duplicate medals’ were issued to Able Seaman R. Carson, of H.M.S. Redbreast. His name is also confirmed on the A.G.S. roll as serving aboard the Redbreast for the clasp Somaliland 1902-04.
Approximately 83 Queen’s South Africa Medals were awarded to the ship’s company of HMS Redbreast, all of them without clasp. Approximately 81 Africa General Service Medals were awarded to the ship’s company of HMS Redbreast for Somaliland 1902-04.
Robert Carson born in Greenock, Renfrew on 11th July 1878 worked as a messenger when aged 16 years old enlisted into the Royal Navy numbered 181255 in Aug 1894. He served on HMS Impregnable till Feb 1896, HMS Devastation till May 1896, HMS Vivid I till Nov 1896, HMS Prince George till Feb 1897, HMS Victory till Apr 1897, HMS Prince George till June 1899, HMS Vivid I till Oct 1899, HMS Cambridge till Feb 1900, HMS Vivid i till Mar 1900, HMS Redbreast till Aug 1903 where he earned his QSA & AGS medals, HMS Vivid till Oct 1903, HMS Indus II till Oct 1904, HMS Vivid Nov 1904, HMS Erebus till Feb 1905, HMS Sapphire II till Mar 1905, HMS Vivid till May 1905, HMS Hannibal till Aug 1905, HMS Vivid till Sep 1905.
He now transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve numbered 1201. He enrolled again 15th Aug 1910 till 16th Sept 1915.
He served in WW1 and earned a 1914/15 Trio on HMS Vivid till Aug 1914, HMS Majestic till 27th May 1915 and took part in the Bombardment of Turkish forts and the Gallipoli landings. On 27th May 1915 when she was torpedoed by a U-Boat at Cape Helles with the loss of 49 men. HMS Europa II till July 1917, HMS Implecable till Aug 1917, HMS Vivid III till Feb 1918, HMS President III till July 1918, HMS Vivid II till Aug 1918 & HMS President III till Mar 1919 when he was retired.