China 1842 (Volunteer, 1st Cls. H.M.S. Cornwallis.), Baltic unnamed as issued,
Admiral William Henry Whyte
Born on 24 January 1829, third son of Captain Edward Whyte, R.N. He was appointed to H.M.S. Cornwallis as a First Class Volunteer on 29 May 1841, and served in the China campaign of 1842 and with the Naval Brigade ashore, including the actions of Tsekee on 14th March, at Chapoo on 17 May, and the storming and capture of Nanking on 16 June (Medal); in the Baltic campaign of 1854, as Lieutenant of H.M.S. Desperate; in the Baltic campaign of 1855, as Lieutenant of H.M.S. Pylades, including, on 15 August, the capture of four craft under fire from Russian troops in the Bight of Kossoria (Medal); also the campaign against the Sooso tribe on the Scarcies River, 30 miles north of Sierra Leone, December 1857 to 1 February 1858, as Lieutenant commanding H.M.S. Teazer, including the bombardment of Kambia on 1 February 1858, and with the Naval Brigade in destroying hostile villages further up river. He was specially promoted to Commander for these services, 1 April 1858; Captain, 25 July 1864; Rear-Admiral, 3 January 1881; Second in Command of the Channel Squadron, May 1884 to July 1885; Vice-Admiral, 18 October 1887; Admiral, 25 July 1892; retired 9 August 1892.




