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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 5

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Egypt (J. Barns, R. Arty.), edge bruise, otherwise good very fine

Provenance:
Spink, November 1896.
Glendinning's, February 1963.
Spink, July 2017.

James Barns (also encountered as 'Barnes') was born on 10 July 1772 at Gatcomb, Isle of Wight and enlisted with the Royal Artillery in 1792. Initially posted to Captain Borthwick's 5th Company, he later transferred to Captain John Lemoine's 7th Company - both of the same 1st Battalion R.A.; with the latter he served during the Egypt Campaign which culminated in the Battle of Alexandria on 21 March 1801.

With the objective of finally expelling the French from Egypt and Syria, a British force - some 15,000 strong - under the command of the highly-respected Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby arrived off Marmorice Bay courtesy of the Royal Navy. Abercromby's artillery, commanded by Colonel Lawson, comprised approximately 543 officers and men.
The British landing at Marmorice is comparatively little-known today but is an exceptional example of inter-service co-operation and military planning: senior officers worked hard to ensure men and equipment could be landed as swiftly and smoothly as possible and a memorandum published on 10 January 1801 included such points as:

- As the passage of the fleet to Egypt may probably be short, it is humbly proposed to have the light field-pieces of the first division of troops conveyed from hence on the decks of the ships of war, so as to be at once lowered down altogether into the boats, having their Artillery detachments along with them, without the necessity of any other preparation after coming to anchor
- One thousand seamen, provided with drag-ropes or harness, will be required to assist in landing and drawing up the heavy ordnance and stores
-The mode of advancing into the country will depend upon the means of draught found there; but, at all events, if a strong detachment of seamen can be procured to remain with the Artillery, it will be highly beneficial to the service.

Although the shoreline at Aboukir Bay was actively defended by French forces, on the morning of 8 March a landing was effected in the face of heavy resistance and not insignificant loss. However, the assault was a success and the advance to Alexandria culminated in a set-piece battle on 21 March which resulted in a British victory; the men of the Royal Artillery had played a full and active part, with the batteries on the right flank having exhausted all their ammunition by the end of the day.

Post-Egypt, Barns continued to serve in the Royal Artillery, on garrison duties both at home and abroad; his discharge papers note over seven years of service in the West Indies. Returning to Europe in 1814, Barns was discharged on 31 March 1818 to pension due to the effects of rheumatism having served a total of 32 years 220 days.

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Sold for
£950

Starting price
£480