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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 602

(x) Three: Major-General C. B. Young, Bengal Sappers and Miners, who built the pontoon bridge over the River Chenab in November 1848, enabling Sir Hugh Gough to pursue the Sikhs to Chilianwala

Maharajpoor Star 1843 (1st Lieutenant, C. B. Young Sappers and Miners), fitted with original brass hook but lacking suspension ring; Punjab 1848-49, 2 clasps, Chilianwala, Goojerat (Lieut. C. B. Young. Engineers.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Bt. Captn. C. B. Young. Enginrs.), polished, thus nearly very fine (3)

Charles Becher Young was born at Fort William, Calcutta on 18 January 1816, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel James Young R.A., Military Secretary to the Governor-General. He attended the East India Company Military Seminary, Addiscombe from July 1834. Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on 11 December 1835, he attended the Royal Engineers Establishment, Chatham from July to November 1836. Returning to Fort William in October 1837, he entered the Bengal Sappers and Miners, commanding a detachment at the capture of Jhansi in January 1839. He was then appointed Adjutant of Sappers and Miners at Joudhpoor. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant on 25 January 1841, he served during the 1843-44 Gwalior campaign and was present at the Battle of Maharajpoor on 29 December 1843.

In the Punjab campaign of 1848-49, Lieutenant Young oversaw the construction of a pontoon bridge at Ramnagar on the River Chenab on 22 November 1848. The British army under General Gough, having marched 70 miles north-west from Lahore, was confronted at Ramnagar by a large Sikh force, occupying entrenched positions along the Chenab's north bank. Gough sent a flying column under General Sir Joseph Thackwell to turn the enemy's flank. As the Sikhs withdrew to meet this threat, Young's pontoon bridge enabled Gough's main force to rapidly cross the river. Gough pursued the Sikhs to Chilianwala, fighting a pitched battle there on 13 January. Young served as Thackwell's A.D.C. during this action, for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette, 19 April 1849). A talented artist, he painted scenes of both the crossing of the Chenab and the battle of Chilianwala.

Young then served in the Second Burma War of 1852, attached to the Army of Rangoon. He was present at Major-General Godwin's capture of Prome on 9 October. He was promoted to Captain on 15 February 1854, rising to Major-General on 1 September 1863. He had four children by Emma Gassel Lind, whom he married at Delhi on 13 July 1842. He died at 7 Bath Road, Chiswick on 27 January 1892; sold with copied research and high-quality reproductions of Young's paintings.


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Sold for
£1,600