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Auction: 13003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 47

(x) A Good Crimea Group of Four to Captain G.H. Lamb, 49th Foot
Crimea 1854-56, two clasps, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Captn. G.H. Lamb. 49th. Regt.), contemporarily engraved in large serif capitals; France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, Chevalier's breast Badge, 64mm including crown suspension x 42mm, silver, gold, and enamel, significant enamel damage to tips; Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidieh, Fifth Class breast Badge, 68mm including Star and Crescent suspension x 48mm, silver, gold applique, and enamel; Turkish Crimea, Sardinian die, of contemporary British manufacture (Captn. Lamb 49th. Regt.), contemporarily engraved in large serif capitals, nearly very fine, all with top silver riband buckles, mounted in a glazed display frame with the following:
- A fine quality gilt 49th Foot Shoulder Belt Plate, comprising a crowned circular strap ' Princess Charlotte of Wales' enclosing 'Hertfordshire' with '49' on a domed ground, attendant laurel sprays bearing a scrolls reading 'Egmont-op-Zee', 'Copenhagen', and 'Queenstown', 'China' across the base, with the Royal Dragon of China below, complete with original leather liner, c.1844-1855
- Two 49th Foot cloth and bullion badges
- 'Crimea' cloth Standard Battle-honour
- A framed parchment scroll listing 'The Military Services of George Henry Lamb'; together with the recipient's diary for 1855 (4)

Captain George Henry Lamb, Commissioned Ensign, 49th Foot, December 1848; promoted Lieutenant, January 1851; embarked with the Regiment for the Crimea, March 1854; taken ill of fever at Larna, August 1854; recovered and re-joined the Regiment in the Crimea, landing at Balaklava, 9.10.1854; served through the rest of the campaign, and present at the Sortie from Sebastopol, 26.10.1854, and the Battle of Inkermann, 5.11.1854; promoted Captain, December 1854; took part in the Capture of the Rifle Pits, 19.4.1855; the First Assault on the Grand Redan, 18.6.1855; and the Final Assault on the Redan, 8.9.1855: 'As we all anticipated the Grand Event took place today. The Division paraded at 6:00am and marched off at 6:30am. At 12:00pm the French made one bound into the Malakoff which was theirs in five minutes. We then went at the Redan and partially succeeded, but in consequence of the severe flanking fire on us were driven back with very great loss in Officers and Men. Meantime the musketry of the Malakoff was tremendous, a terrible fight coming on in the town which continued until 6:00pm, at which point we were relieved and returned to camp.' (The recipient's diary refers). The following day, 9.9.1855, Sebastopol fell: 'The Fall of Sebastopol took place. Hip, Hip, Hurray! Throughout the night frightful explosions took place in different parts of the Redan and Malakoff. At daybreak we were turned out and marched to the 5th Parallel, and on our way down were told that the Russians had vacated the south side entirely! The bridge broken up and the Men-of-Wars sunk- Cheers, boys, Cheers! Roamed all over the Redan which is a most extraordinary town as it were, and then walked into Sebastopol. The whole place torn down by our shells. The plunder, trophies, and guns taken is enormous. I remained out all night, and the men lit large fires.' (ibid).

Captain Lamb returned to Britain, June 1856; he resigned his Commission, February 1857.

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Sold for
£2,600