After a difficult and dangerous journey they reached their objective – a magazine of corn – and managed to ignite the stacks, but the guards were alerted and immediately opened fire and gave chase.

[2] He then transferred to the paddle frigate HMS Firebrand on the South America Station and was present at the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado in November 1845 during the Uruguayan Civil War.

[2] He became commanding officer of the gun vessel HMS Weser in February 1855; however the ship caught fire near Constantinople and was beached before being towed off and joining the bombardment of Sevastopol in June 1855.

[2] He then took part in operations in Sea of Azov and, having been promoted to commander on 29 September 1855, went ashore with the quartermaster and a seaman, to destroy large quantities of enemy forage on the shore.

After a difficult and dangerous journey they reached their objective – a magazine of corn – and managed to ignite the stacks, but the guards were alerted and immediately opened fire and gave chase.

[2] His citation reads: Date of act of Bravery, 11 October 1855 "When commanding the 'Weser,' in the Sea of Azoff, crossed the Isthmus of Arabat, and destroyed large quantities of forage on the Crimean shore of the Sivash.

[6] He was second-in-command of a naval brigade which landed in China, but then had to retreat to their boats after facing firm resistance, at Battle of Taku Forts in June 1859 during the Second Opium War.

[8] Promoted to commodore, second class in February 1871, Commerell became Commander-in-Chief Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station, with his broad pennant in the corvette HMS Rattlesnake.

[12] Promoted to vice admiral on 19 January 1881,[13] Commerell became Commander in Chief, North America and West Indies Station, with his flag in the armoured cruiser HMS Northampton, in November 1882.