Petty Officer 1st Class George Ratsey was born in Fratton, Portsmouth in April 1847 and entered the Royal Navy as a Ward Room Officers' Servant in August 1864. Following a number of seagoing appointments and advancement to Petty Officer 2nd Class, he was re-engaged for continuous service in January 1877 while serving aboard H.M.S. Shah. As such, he was present in that ship's engagement with the Peruvian Turret Ship Huascar in May of the same year, an action well described in Naval Medals 1857-1880, by Captain K.J. Douglas-Morris, R.N. The same source also verifies that he was among the small hand-picked 'Torpedo Expedition Party' that was despatched from the Shah on 31.5.1877. Ratsey went on to gain advancement to Petty Officer 1st Class in November 1879 and was finally pensioned ashore in April 1884.