Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, St Sebastian, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse. The West Indies medals were for Martinique (Feb. 1809) and Gaudaloupe (Jan.—Feb. 1810), the North American for Fort Detroit (Aug. 16, 1812), Chateauguay (Oct. 26, 1813) and Chrystler’s Farm (Nov. 11, 1813), and there was, lastly, a medal awarded for Java (Aug.—Sept. 1811).
From the above it will be seen that as time went on many officers became entitled to two, three and even more medals, and as this was found inconvenient, the method of granting the award was very materially amended as notified by the commander-in-chief, in a general order, dated Horse Guards, October 7, 1813. This order formulated regulations which were as follows:—
1. That one medal only was to be borne by each officer recommended for the distinction.
2. That for a second and a third action a gold clasp was to be attached to the ribbon from which the medal was suspended inscribed with the name of the action.
3. When a fourth distinction was earned, the medal and two clasps were to be replaced by a Gold Cross having the four actions for which it was awarded inscribed upon it, one upon each arm.
4. On every occasion the recipient was awarded the decoration after the fourth a Gold Clasp worn on the ribband was added to the Cross.
The regulations further laid down that only officers should be recommended who had been “personally and particularly engaged” on the occasion, and that officers were to be named by “special selection and report of the Commander of the Forces upon the spot, as having merited the distinction by conspicuous service.” Further, the Commander of the Forces was restricted in his selection to General Officers, C.Os. of Brigades, C.Os. of Artillery or Engineers, and certain staff officers holding field rank, and Commanding Officers of Units, and Officers succeeding to such command during an engagement.[1] It was also ordered that awards earned by deceased officers should be transmitted “to their respective families.” The Gold Cross that was, under these regulations, instituted is as follows:—
A Maltese Cross, 112 inches square, with an ornamental border; in the centre, a lion, facing right; in each limb of the cross the name of one of the actions for which it was conferred. The back of the cross is the same as the front. The cross was precisely the same irrespective of whether it replaced a large or a small medal.
The clasps were all of the same pattern, whether worn with the cross, the large gold medal, or the small gold medal. They are 2 in. in length by 12 in. in width, and bear, within a border of laurel, the name of the action for which they were conferred. At the close of the war in the Peninsula the issue of this handsome and much coveted decoration was discontinued, the enlargement of the Order of the Bath (January 1815) affording another method of reward which the Crown deemed more appropriate. On the occasion of this extension all officers who had obtained the cross with one clasp, i.e. who had been decorated for five or more actions, were made Knights Commander of the Bath. In all 847 awards of this superb decoration were made. The medal alone went to 469 officers, whilst 143 received it with one clasp, and 72 with two clasps. The cross was issued singly in 61 cases, with one clasp in 46, with two in 18, with three in 17, with four in 8, and with five clasps in 7 cases. The cross with six clasps was gained by Sir Colin Campbell (Lord Clyde), Sir Alexander Dickson (d. 1840) and Sir George Murray (d. 1846). Two officers, Viscount Beresford and Sir Denis Pack (d. 1823) received it with seven clasps. The duke of Wellington’s had nine, the decoration thus commemorating fourteen out of the twenty-six battles, sieges or operations for which the Gold Medals, Cross and Clasps were awarded. On the limbs of this cross are, ROLEIA AND VIMIERA, TALAVERA, BUSACO, FUENTES DE ONOR. The clasps are for CIUDAD ROD-RIGO, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA, VITTORIA, PYRENEES, NIVELLE, NIVE, ORTHES and TOULOUSE. Not until after the close of the Great War, however, do we meet with the real prototype of the war medal as we know it to-day, for the Waterloo Medal of 1815 is the first actual “general” medal that was ever issued, because it was issued precisely alike to all ranks. In the twelve cases in which we have seen that a medal was given to all ranks, the medals differed either in size or in metal, or in both, according to the rank of the recipient, and in eight out of the nine issued by the Hon. East India Company the award was withheld from the British officers and men employed. Again in none of the cases quoted were the awards made by the Crown. The “Dunbar” medal was awarded by the Commonwealth parliament. The men of the Nile and Trafalgar wore their medals through the generosity of private individuals. In the other nine cases the award was made by the directors of the Hon. East India Company. It was with the issue of the Waterloo Medal that all this was changed and for this well-merited and much prized boon the Services owe all gratitude to the duke of Wellington. Writing from Orville on June 28, 1815, to H.R.H. the duke of York, he says:—
“I would likewise beg leave to suggest to your Royal Highness (the then Commander-in-chief) the expediency of giving to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers engaged in the battle of Waterloo, a medal. I am convinced it would have the best effect in the army; and, if that battle should settle our concerns, they will well deserve it.”
Again, writing from Paris, Sept. 17, 1815, to Lord Bathurst, then war secretary:—
“I have long intended to write to you about the medal for Waterloo. I recommend that we should all have the same medal, hung to the same ribband as that now used with the medals.”
(i.e. the army gold medals and crosses). It is also fair to point out that in his place in the House of Commons, and on the day after the duke’s letter to the commander-in-chief had been penned, William Watkins Wynn urged that medals should be given to the survivors of Waterloo, and that they should be the same for both officers and men, “so that they who had been fellows in danger might bear the same badge of honour.” And so came into being that type of “general” medal, which beginning with Waterloo has continued down to the present.
The description of these later medals, and the points of interest about them, will now be given as fully as exigencies of space will allow.
1. Waterloo, 1815.—Awarded by the Prince Regent, 1816. Obverse: Bust of the Prince Regent. Leg. GEORGE P. REGENT. Reverse: Figure of Victory seated; in her right hand, a palm branch; in her left, an olive branch. Above, WELLINGTON; below, WATERLOO, JUNE 18, 1815. Ribbon: Crimson with blue borders (Plate I.). Clasps: Nil.
The notification of this award was made in a memorandum by H.R.H. the commander-in-chief, dated Horse Guards, March 10, 1816, and it is worth noting that the prince regent commanded that the ribbon “shall never be worn but with the medal suspended to it.” The medal was conferred on all the British troops, including the King’s German Legion, present on the 16th June at Quatre Bras, on the 17th in the fighting that took place during the retirement through Genappe to Waterloo, and on the 18th at Waterloo. It was also given to four regiments, 2nd Batt. 35th, 1st Batt. 54th, 2nd Batt. 59th, and 1st Batt. 91st Regiments of Foot, which formed Sir Charles Colville’s Brigade, which was detached. The reverse of this medal would appear to have been copied from the Greek Coin of Elis, about 450 B.C., a specimen of which is in the British Museum. The medals most prized by collectors are those of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Dragoons (the “Union Brigade”), and the 28th and 42nd Regiments of Foot, as those regiments suffered very severely and consequently fewer survivors received the medal than in other corps.
2. Ghuznee, 1839.—Awarded by the Government of India, 1842. Obverse: The Gateway of the Fortress. Below, GHUZNEE. Reverse: In centre a space for name of recipient; above, 23rd July; below, a mural crown with underneath it 1839; the whole within a wreath of laurel. Ribbon: Particoloured, crimson and green (Plate I.). Clasps: Nil.
This medal originated with Shah Soojah, whose part the Indian government took in the Afghan troubles of the time. His downfall and death having taken place before the medals were ready, the actual award was made by the Government of India. It was originally ordered (Bengal Military Proceedings, May 27, 1842; Nos. 151 and 152) that the ribbon should be green and yellow, and it was undoubtedly so worn by some recipients; but there is no official record to show why the colours were altered to green and crimson.- ↑ Captain Sayers of the royal navy, who commanded the “Leda” 36, and landed in command of the 500 seamen who erected and manned the batteries for the attack of Fort Cornelis, received the small medal for Java. This is the only case of the Army Gold Medal having been conferred on a naval officer.
