This award, given to all the troops, both Crown and Hon. East India Company engaged in the First Sikh War, was first notified in governor-general’s G.O., dated Camp, Ferozepore, December 25, 1845, the queen’s consent for Crown troops to receive the medal being given six months later. As there was a considerable number of troops engaged in this campaign, the medal is not a very rare one, but a very rare combination is the medal with Ferozeshuhur in the exergue and the clasp for Aliwal, as only half a company of native artillery was present in these two battles and in no other. This is a specially noticeable medal, for it is the first time that “clasps” were issued with a “general” medal, the precedent followed being that of the Army Gold Medal. For every action after his first battle, which was inscribed on the medal itself, the recipient received a clasp. Thus a medal with “Moodkee” in the exergue might carry one, two or three clasps; a “Sobraon” medal could have no clasps. This and the “Punjab” medal, to be described later, are generally considered to be the two finest pieces of medal work by W. Wyon, R.A.
11. Navy General Service, 1793–1840.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1847. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as on First China Medal; under head, 1848. Reverse: Britannia seated on a sea horse; in her right hand, a trident; in her left, a laurel branch. Ribbon: White, with dark blue borders (Plate I.). Clasps: 231 clasps in all were granted, of which 55 were for “Boat Service.”
An Admiralty memorandum dated June 1, 1847, notified the grant of this award to commemorate the services of the fleet “during the wars commencing in 1793 and ending in 1815,” and this practically confined the award to those operations for which the Navy Gold Medal (see ante) had been conferred. Subsequently, however, a board of admirals was appointed to consider claims, and on their recommendation an Admiralty memorandum dated June 7, 1848, extended the grant. Clasps were to be given for: (1) All Gold Medal actions or operations. (2) All actions in which first lieutenants or commanders were promoted, as had been customary after important and meritorious engagements. (3) All “Boat Service” operations in which the officer conducting the operations was promoted. (4) For, in co-operation with the land forces, the siege and capture of Martinique, 1809, Guadaloupe, 1810, Java, 1811, and St Sebastian, 1813, for all of which operations the Army Gold Medal had been awarded; and (5) The Bombardment of Algiers, 1816; the Battle of Navarino, 1827; and operations on the coast of Syria, 1840.
Although the medal is purely a naval one, yet it was conferred on a few soldiers who had done duty in the fleet in actions or operations, for which the medal was granted. Forty military officers in all received the Navy G.S. medal, one, Captain Caleb Chute, 69th Foot, with two clasps, viz. “14th March, 1795” and “St Vincent.” It is very difficult to compile an absolutely accurate list of all the clasps issued, for in several cases more than one clasp was given for the same action, and there were moreover nine or ten clasps allowed for which no claims appear to have been made good. The combination of the clasps is endless, but it is curious to note that medals with more than one, or two clasps are rare; with four or five clasps, very rare; and the highest number of clasps issued with any one medal is six. Amongst very rare clasps the following may be mentioned. One survivor only, Lieut. Baugh, the officer in command, was alive to claim the clasp “Rapid, 24th April, 1808.” Only two claims were proved for “Surly, 24th April, 1810”; six for “Castor, 17th June, 1809”; seven for “Amazon, 13th January, 1797”; eight for “Confiance, 14th January, 1809”; and ten for “Acheron, 3rd February, 1805.” Of “Boat Service” clasps only three were claimed for “10th December, 1799”; four for “9th June, 1799”; and eight for “10th July, 1799.” (All “Boat Service” clasps are inscribed “Boat Service” with the day and month on the left, and the year on the right.) In all nearly thirty thousand claims were proved for the medal.
12. Army General Service, 1793–1814.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1847. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as on First China Medal; under head, 1848. Reverse: Queen Victoria on a dais is placing a wreath on the head of the duke of Wellington, who kneels on his left knee before her, holding in his right hand the baton of a Field Marshal; at the side of the dais is a lion dormant. Legend: TO THE BRITISH ARMY. In exergue: 1793–1814. Ribbon: Crimson with blue borders (Plate I.). Clasps: EGYPT, MAIDA, ROLEIA, VIMIERA, SAHAGUN,[1] BENEVENTE,[1] SAHAGUN-BENEVENTE,[1] CORUNNA, MARTINIQUE,[2] TALAVERA, GUADALOUPE,[2] BUSACO, BARROSA, FUENTES D’ONOR, ALBUHERA, JAVA,[2] CIUDAD RODRIGO, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA, FORT DETROIT, CHATEAUGUAY, CHRYSTLER’S FARM, VITTORIA, PYRENEES, ST SEBASTIAN,[2] NIVELLE, NIVE, ORTHES, TOULOUSE.
This medal, frequently erroneously termed the “Peninsular War” medal, was awarded to the survivors of the military forces of the Crown that had taken part in the Peninsular War, and in contemporaneous operations in other parts of the world; it was also given with the clasp “Java” to the European troops of the Hon. East India Company; with the clasps “Martinique” and “Guadaloupe” to certain local West Indian Corps; and with the clasps “Fort Detroit,” “Chateauguay,” and “Chrystler’s Farm,” to some Canadian militia and local levies, as well as to some Indian auxiliaries. The award of the medal, and all the clasps except “Egypt,” bear date June 1, 1847, but the clasp “Egypt” was not granted till February 12, 1850. Although the medal is supposed to commemorate services “during the wars commencing in 1793, and ending in 1814,” the earliest operations for which the medal was awarded did not take place until 1801. No medal was issued without a clasp, and as will be seen the medal was awarded only for those actions or operations for which the Army Gold Medals (including that for Maida) had been awarded; and in addition for the operations in Egypt in 1801. The combination of clasps is endless but only two medals were issued with fifteen clasps, though several survivors proved their claim to fourteen clasps. In fact medals with seven, eight or nine clasps are not common, those with ten, or more, distinctly rare. For example, taking only medals issued to officers (including those of the King’s German Legion), three were issued with 14 clasps, three with 13, nine with 12, twelve with 11, thirty-six with 10, fifty-eight with 9, ninety with 8, and one hundred and fourteen with 7. By far the rarest of all clasps is “Benevente,” as according to the War Office lists only three would appear to have been issued, viz. to Captain Evelegh, R.H.A., Pte. G. Barrett, 10th Hussars, and Pte. M. Gilmour, 18th Hussars, although a medal with this clasp having every appearance of being genuine and issued to Pte. William Lyne, 7th Hussars, was in the collection of Colonel Murray of Polmaise. Sahagun also is a very rare clasp, as it was received only by fifteen men of the 15th Hussars and a few others. The three North American clasps are also very rare, especially Chateauguay. Leaving out awards to Indian warriors, the statistics regarding the issue of the North American clasps are approximately as follows. At Chateauguay some 300 men fought, and 132 survivors proved for the clasp, of which all except three of the Royal Artillery were Canadians. For Chrystler’s Farm, the next rarest clasp, out of about 800 engaged 176 claims were proved: viz. 79 of the 89th Foot, 59 Canadians, 44 of the 49th Foot, and 4 Royal Artillery. At Fort Detroit, 1330 men were engaged, and those who proved for the clasp included 210 Canadians, 52 of the 41st Foot, 5 Royal Artillery, and one man of the 41st Foot (who also got the clasp for Chrystler’s Farm). One man proved for all three clasps, another for “Fort Detroit” and “Chateauguay,” a third for “Chateauguay” and “Chrystler’s Farm.” The former medal is said to be in the cabinet of a New York collector. Two “regulars” also proved for the medal with clasps for “Fort Detroit” and “Chrystler’s Farm,” the one belonging to the Royal Artillery, the other to the 49th Foot. The medal of the former sold at the Greg sale, in 1887, for £25 10s.
13. Punjab, 1848–49 (2nd Sikh War).—Awarded by Government of India, 1849. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as in First China Medal. Reverse: Sikh chiefs delivering up their arms to Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert, near Rawal Pindi, March 14, 1849. Above, TO THE ARMY OF THE PUNJAB. In exergue, MDCCCXLIX. Ribbon: Blue with yellow stripes at side (Plate I.). Clasps: MOOLTAN, CHILIANWALA, GOOJERAT.
The award of this medal was first notified by a G.O. of the governor-general, dated Camp, Ferozepore, April 2, 1849. The medal is one of special interest, for it establishes the principle that now rules, viz. that every one participating in a campaign (including for the first time civilians) was entitled to receive the medal, apart from those who received the medal together with a clasp for a specific action. The medal in fact was granted “to every officer and soldier who has been employed within the Punjab in this campaign to the date of the occupation of Peshawur.” In other words it was granted to all who had served “during this campaign within the territories of Maharajah Duleep Sing,” irrespective of whether they had qualified for any of the clasps. A very large number of medals was therefore issued without clasps. Another interesting point about this award is that after its grant it was laid down that in future no medals were to be issued by the Government of India without the consent of the Crown. As a matter of fact the Government of India was for the future only concerned in the grant of the two medals that followed, namely the First and Second India General Service Medals. No medals were issued with more than two of the three clasps, the combination being either “Mooltan” and “Goojerat” or “Chilianwala” and “Goojerat.” Very rare medals are those of the 24th Foot with the clasp for “Chilianwala,” as in that action they lost more than half their strength, their casualties amounting to 497, of whom 250 were killed or died of wounds. Another rare medal is that given without a clasp to the officers and men of the Indian Marine that manned the Indus Flotilla; and more rare still is the same medal with the “Mooltan” clasp which was given to a naval brigade landed from the same flotilla.
14. India, 1799–1826 (1st India G.S., officially styled “India, 1851”).—Awarded by the Government of India, 1851. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as in First China Medal. Reverse: Victory seated, in her right hand a laurel branch, in her left a wreath; on the ground beside her a lotus flower, and in the left background a palm tree and trophy of Eastern arms. Above, TO THE ARMY OF INDIA. In exergue, 1799–1826. Ribbon: Sky blue (Plate I.). Clasps: ALLIGHUR, BATTLE OF DELHI, ASSYE, ASSEERGHUR, LASWARREE, ARGAUM, GAWILGHUR, DEFENCE OF DELHI, BATTLE OF DEIG, CAPTURE OF