educated at burney′s royal naval academy, gosport, morant entered the royal navy in 1850. he was a signal midshipman on board the steam sloop "tenasserin" during the second anglo-burmese war 1852, and took part in the action and capture of the city of bassein (mentioned in despatches 20 may 1852). as a mate, he served in the crimean war (1853-1856), for which he received the crimea medal (two clasps) and in april 1858 the imperial order of medjidie, 5th class, from the sultan of turkey