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Auction: 20002 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Space Exploration
Lot: 10

The impressive Military General Service Medal awarded to Colour-Sergeant R. Miller, Royal Sappers & Miners, credited with saving the life of his commanding officer, Captain Holloway, during the night assualt and escalade on Fort Picurina on 25 March 1812, a bloody prelude to the third - and finally successful - Siege of Badajoz

Military General Service 1794-1814, 1 clasp, Badajoz, (R. Miller, Serjt., Royal Sappers & Miners.), good very fine

Robert Miller was born at Regloran, Perth in 1787 and attested for the Royal Artillery on 1 January 1810. Within five months he had transferred into the Corps of Sappers & Miners (5 July 1810) as a member of 6th Company, 2nd Battalion, which at that time was officially based in Plymouth. In 1811 the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Companies of 2nd Battalion were sent to Portugal for service in the Peninsular.

To Portugal and Spain

Miller's Company, under the command of Captain Holloway, Royal Engineers, found itself stationed in the fortress of Almeida during the winter of 1811-12 until ordered to join the Allied army under Wellington, currently preparing for the third siege of the border fortress of Badajoz - the final nut to crack to both secure the Spanish-Portuguese border and a base of operations for an advance into French-occupied Spain.

Siege and Assault

Wellington knew he had to both invest and take Badajoz quickly due to the presence of French forces elsewhere which, given enough time to concentrate, would attempt to relieve the garrison; the first objective was to be the outlying defensive position of Fort Picurina, one of four separate fortresses-in-miniature designed to disrupt attacks of besieging forces; located just south-east of the city, Picurina was essential to capture to allow further advance of trenches, earthworks and breaching batteries.

Night Attack

25 March being scheduled for the storming of Fort Picurina, at 7.30pm the 500 men comprising the three assaulting parties formed up; Captain Holloway, with Miller in close order, formed part of the reserve, a force of 100 men under the overall command of Captain Power, 83rd Foot. Unfortunately the attack, which went in at 10pm, immediately encountered ferocious resistance from the French defenders and it is recorded that shortly afterwards the reserve was ordered forward to provide assistance - it was here that Miller performed a feat of great fortitude and bravery which won him the ever-lasting respect of his gallant commanding officer, as related by the Corps History of the Royal Engineers:

'Encumbered with ladders and axes they broke through a line of palisades on the covert-way, they planted the ladders on the counter-scarp and then descended into the ditch; they moved the ladders across to the scarp with the greatest steadiness and precision. Instantly they mounted and after tearing down the fraises to a sufficient extent they began to climb the ramparts and dash through the embrasures into the fort...On the Parapet, Captain Holloway fell severely wounded, Lance-Corporal Robert Miller rushed to his rescue and at imminent personal peril, guarded his body and then bore him safely in the camp. Captain Holloway had been shot through the lungs and undoubtedly Cpl Miller's selfless bravery contributed in saving the life of this heroic officer.'
Fortunately Holloway survived his injuries and, though the attack on Fort Picurina resulted in heavy casualties of 60% of the attacking force, the outwork was carried and this allowed the besieging forces to creep ever closer to the walls of Badajoz. The fortress itself finally fell on 6 April 1812 after a bloody assault and a cost of 5,000 men in just two hours.

To the Mediterranean

The capture of Badajoz offered no immediate respite for Miller: shortly afterward 6th Company were ordered to join an expedition forming for service on the eastern coast of Spain and in the reduction of French possessions in the Mediterranean. Miller is recorded as sailing aboard the transport Latona from Lisbon bound for Port Mahon, Menorca. He subsequently took part in operations against Fort Denia (Alicante), Biar, Fort St. Philip and Tarragona was additionally present at the Battle of Castalla on 13 April 1813. A final deployment to service in the Reduction of Genoa saw him safely to the conclusion of the Peninsular War and Napoleon's first abdication on 4th April 1814; the 6th Company additionally appears to have remained at Genoa during the Hundred Days Campaign and into 1816.

Further Service and Journey's End

Miller's papers state that he was promoted Sergeant on 31 October 1823 - a rank he held for just eighteen months before being promoted to Colour-Sergeant on 1 January 1825. Likely based in Chatham from 1825-26, he is noted as being enrolled for service in the 'Trigonometrical Survey' companies and was one of sixty-two NCOs and men of the third survey company who embarked aboard the transport Shipley for the West Indies on 26 February 1826. On the night of the 19 April the Shipley was wrecked upon Cobbler's Rocks near Barbados, but luckily all on board were rescued without a loss. Miller remained in the West Indies for five years, being listed as 'at home' from 9 February 1831.

Upon leaving the service in 1833 as the result of a Medical Examination Board, not only was he deemed of such exemplary character as to be awarded the gratuity for meritorious service and a 'marching allowance' to enable Miller and his wife to travel from London to Dundee, several former Commanding Officers left him glowing testimonials - not least Colonel (then Captain) Holloway, the man whose life Miller had saved all those years ago:

'I beg to say that there is none so brave and deserving a man..I have made much enquiry into his character among the officers under whom he has since served and find that he stands high in their estimation and that he is an attentive and dilligent non-commissioned officer, sober, quiet, and upright in his departments. I have no doubt that he will aquit himself in the post which he applies [and] to which he aspires.'

A fitting tribute to a brave and long-served warrior; sold together with a good file of copied research.

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Sold for
£6,500

Starting price
£950