SINGLE CAMPAIGN MEDALS 367
WATERLOO 1815 (Serj. John Mathias, 1st Reg. Light Drag. K.G.L.) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, very fine
£2000-2500
From the ‘Important Collection of Medals to the King’s German Legion’, D.N.W., 2 April 2003.
Sergeant John Mathias was awarded the Guelphic Medal on 10 June 1840 for gallantry in the Peninsula war:
‘At Venta del Pozo, although his post of duty lay in the rear of the Squadron, he pressed forward courageously when the opposing lines charged each other; neither side meeting with any success. He cleared the way with powerful blows of his sword, saying to the men: “Look, youngsters, this is the way you must do it”. He was an old warrior, who had behaved heroically on all occasions.’ (Ref Von Wissel, p60)
During the retreat to Portugal a disaster was narrowly averted on 23 October 1812 at Venta del Pozo, fifteen miles from Burgos. ‘The road led across a deep, dry watercourse crossed by a narrow bridge. Anson’s brigade [11th, 12th and 16th Light Dragoons, 800 sabres] was covering the rear. Cotton deployed his horse artillery [Bull’s Troop, R.H.A., commanded by 2nd Captain Norman Ramsay] to fire at the bridge and ordered the German dragoons to charge as soon as a few French squadrons had defiled across. Unfortunately Anson’s regiments turned the wrong way when they reached the south bank, masking both the guns and the Germans. Before Bock’s brigade [1st and 2nd Dragoons K.G.L., 400 sabres] could charge the French were across in strength and there was a mêlée with both sides hacking at each other in a stationary, confused mass. Into this mass charged a division of French dragoons who had taken a wide detour and crossed the watercourse by a track far on their right. Both British brigades had to fly in disorder but they were saved by the two battalions of the Legion [1st and 2nd Light Battalions] who received the French cavalry in square and inflicted 300 casualties on them. The British brigades reformed behind them and the retreat continued in a hectic but orderly fashion.’ (Ref The Peninsular War 1807-1814, Michael Glover)
At Waterloo he served in Captain B. Bothmer’s Company, who was severely wounded and had his right leg amputated. During the battle the 1st Light Dragoons suffered over 25 per cent of their strength killed, wounded and missing. Mathias was promoted Troop Sergeant Major on 25 September 1815 but did not live to claim his M.G.S. medal.
368
WATERLOO 1815 (Paymast. Serj. Hen. Behr, 1st Light Batt. K.G.L.) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, good very fine
£1200-1400
Henry Behr was born at Wisterhoff, Hanover, and attested for the King’s German Legion at Westminster on 26 October 1803. He was promoted Sergeant on 25 January 1811, and fought in the Peninsula at the battles of Albuhera, Salamanca, Vittoria, St Sebastian, Nivelle and Nive, for which he received the M.G.S. medals with 6 clasps.
369
WATERLOO 1815 (Lieut. Alex. Carmichel, 1st Line Batt. K.G.L.) fitted with steel clip and ring suspension, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine
£2500-3000 Ex John Darwent Collection, April 2004.
Alexander Carmichael was born at Kinrara, Inverness-shire, on 10 April 1790, and was first commissioned as an Ensign in the 8th Line Battalion K.G.L. on 22 December 1812. He transferred to the 1st Line Battalion in March 1813, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 6 May 1814. He took part in the ‘battle of Nive on 9th, 10th, & 11th Decr. 1813; Taking the position before the Citadel of Bayonne, 27th Feby. 1814; Sortie of the day after and the bombardment of that City; Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815, the whole under the Duke of Wellington.’ Carmichael was placed on half pay on 26 February 1816, and was transferred to the half pay of the 97th Foot on 25 March 1824, becoming a Captain in December 1830 and retired in 1837.
There are several mentions of this officer in The Wheatley Diary, edited by Christopher Hibbert: ‘... He [Wheatley] seems to have made no close friends in his own battalion other than Llewellyn and apparently spent his leisure hours, when he could, with Englishmen who were officers in other units in his Brigade - Lieutenants Alexander Carmichael, George Boyd, and William Drysdale of the 1st Line Battalion K.G.L., Ensign John Henderson of the K.G.L. Artillery, and Charles Beverley, a Deputy Assistant Commissary-General.’ He was the brother of Lieutenant Lewis Carmichael, 59th Foot, who accompanied the Storming Party at St Sebastian and was severely wounded at the Nive. Sold with full research.
www.dnw.co.uk
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