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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 11

A most interesting Military General Service Medal awarded to Ensign Stephen Radcliff, 6th (1st Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, who was wounded in action during the regiment's famous bayonet charge at the Battle of Maya in 1813

Military General Service 1793-1814, 4 clasps, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes (S. Radcliff, Ensn 6th Foot), highlights slightly polished, otherwise good very fine

Provenance:
Elson Collection, Glendining's, September 1963.

Stephen Radcliff (or Radcliffe) was commissioned Ensign into the 1st Battalion 6th (1st Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot on 20 July 1810. After participating in several key actions of the war (including Rolica, Vimiero, Corunna, and the Walcheren Expedition) the 6th Foot returned to the Peninsula from 1812 and served through to the conclusion of the war.
In reserve at Vittoria (21 June 1813) the regiment made a name for themselves during the subsequent campaign amongst the slopes and peaks of the Pyrenees mountains, not least at the Battle of Maya (25 July 1813), when they came to the rescue of several hard-pressed infantry battalions who had been stoutly defending the mountain pass all day against seemingly overwhelming odds; marching 'to the sound of the guns', they surprised a large column of advancing French infantry and attacked their flank, causing the enemy to retreat in some disorder. It is noted that two officers of the 6th, Lieutenant Dutton and Ensign Radcliff, were wounded at this point (A History of the Peninsular War, Vol. VIII, A Biographical Dictionary of British Officers Killed and Wounded, 1808-1814, refers).
After the action at Maya the regiment fought a further gallant action storming the Heights of Echalar, which drew direct praise from Wellington himself: The most gallant and the finest thing. It is impossible that I can extol too highly the conduct of these brave troops. The military historian of the Peninsular War, Sir William Napier (who himself commanded the 43rd Foot during this campaign) later singled-out the 6th for specific comment: By sheer force of arms, 1500 men had driven 6000 good French troops from a position so rugged that there would have been little to boast of if the numbers had been reversed and the defence made good.

From here, the regiment saw further service at the battles of the Nivelle and Orthes, the latter action being a particularly hotly-contested affair that cost the 6th no fewer than twenty officers and men killed & 136 wounded. It was to be their last battle in Europe: upon the cessation of hostilities they were quickly redeployed to North America to participate in the last throes of the War of 1812.
Radcliff was promoted Lieutenant on 16 September 1814 and placed on Half-Pay on 16 April 1817. Interestingly, he appears to be one of only two officers of the regiment to qualify for the Medal with this combination of clasps - and of those two, the only one wounded in action.

Sold with notes on the recipient and some copied research.

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Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£1600