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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 143

The campaign group of five awarded to Colonel H. Hume, C.B., Grenadier Guards, late 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot and Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, who was recommended for the Victoria Cross at the Battle of the Alma, when on foot, his horse having been shot, seized the Regimental Colour from the shattered hand of Ensign Bazalgette and fronted, while the remaing men rallied round the Colour

Jubilee 1897 (Lt. Col. Henry Hume from Her Majesty July 27 1897), engraved in upright capitals; Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Lt. Col. Henry Hume 95th Regt), engraved in upright capitals; France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, breast Badge, gold, silver and enamel; Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of Medjidie, breast Badge, gold, silver and enamel; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, fitted with replacement scroll suspension (Lt. Col Henry Hume C.B. 95th Regt), engraved in upright capitals, mounted on a silver bar for wear, some enamel chipping, very fine (5)

[C.B.] London Gazette 9 July 1855.

Turkish Order of Medjidie London Gazette 2 March 1858.

French Legion of Honour London Gazette 4 August 1856.

M.I.D. London Gazette 28 September & 11 November 1854.

Henry Hume was born on 23 January 1816 and became an Ensign on 9 May 1835, being advanced Lieutenant, 1 December 1837, Captain, 19 January 1844, Major, 24 December 1852 and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 12 December 1854.

During the Battle of the Alma on 20 September 1854, The Queen's Colour of the 95th had by now been taken from a wounded ensign by Private James Keenan, who planted it triumphantly on the earth-work of the Great Redoubt.

The 23rd and 95th were now joined by the 7th Fusiliers, and all three corps directed their fire upon a Russian Battalion in their front. The slaughter on both sides was terrific, the 95th being taken in flank by the Russian 32nd Regiment. At theis moment some of our Regiments on the right began to retire. No support was immediately at hand, and the moment was critical.

Enter stage left Hume, who was on foot, his horse having been shot, seized the Regimental Colour from the shattered hand of Ensign Bazalgette (who had by now been twice wounded) and fronted, while the remaining men rallied round the Colour.

Captain Raines with Sergeants Sexton and Ormond and a handful of men came up bearing aloft the Queen's Colour, which Raines had taken from Langford-Brooke, who had by now been sent limping to hospital. The Queen's Colour was then handed to Morgan and the Regimental Colour to Carmichael.

The Colour carried by Morgan was struck twice while in his charge, a shot going through his wing and hitting in the throat Private Keenan. Morgan had noticed the Russian sharp-shooter who had just fired, and taking a rifle from one of the men behind him, Morgan, who was a splendid shot, killed the Russian. The next day Morgan was sent for by Major Hume, when the following conversation ensued:

'"Morgan, do you think you were justified in shooting that Russian yesterday?" "I think I was, sir" "I think you were not; it is not the duty of an officer. You should have told one of the men to shoot him." "One of the men might have missed him; the fellow had just loaded and probably would have cooked one of us. I know it nearly did for me!"'

The losses among the Colour party, both Officers and Sergeants, had been most severe, almost every Ensign in succession, several other officers, and five sergeants falling under the Colours. Orderly-room Sergeant (now Captain) Reid was the only Sergeant of the party who was untouched; Sergeant Thomas McDowell was wounded - shot through the thigh, while Sergeant R. Woolnough and all the remainder were killed. Ensign Braybrooke and two other subalterns were severely wounded while carrying the Queen's Colour, which was seized by Private Keenan and planted in the Russian Battery, was for a time parried by Captain Raines of No. 2 Company, and eventually carried out of action by Lieutenant Morgan. Ensign Bazalgette was twice wounded under the Regimental Colour (having four shot holes in his right hand). Hume was shot when he had taken it from Bazalgette, when it was received by Captain Davis, and finally carried until the close of the action of Lieutenant Carmichael.

The following Divisional Order by Lieutenant-General Sir de Lacy Evans was promulgated shortly after the Battle:

'The Lieutenant-General has the satisfaction to publish in orders the following names of officers and men of the 95th Regiment, reported by their Commanding Officer, whose gallant conduct came under his especial notice at the battle of the Alma: Major H. Hume, after crossing the river, had a horse shot under him, headed the attack on the Russian main outwork and carried the Regimental Colour for some time during the hardest part of the struggle. Ensign Brooke continued to press on in the midst of contest after receiving a wound whilst carrying the Colours.'Hume was duly recommended by Sir de Lacy Evans for the Victoria Cross.

When the siege of Sebastopol was decided upon, the Second Division took up a position on the extreme right, on the heights of Inkermann, and here it was twice attacked - on 26 October, and more heavily, on 5 November. At the Battle of Inkermann, the 95th - weakened by the losses at Alma and on 26 October, and by the sickness which had been contracted in Turkey and had never left the army - numbered only 10 Officers and 433 of Other Ranks. The Regiment was now formed in six Companies. There were not enough officers to spare two to carry the Colours, but there was no idea of leaving them in the rear in safety. They were brought on the field, '...and were carried that day by two Sergeants' - the Queen's Colour by Sergeant William McIntyre and the Regimental Colour by Sergeant John Gooding. Surely there can be no battle more difficult to describe than Inkermann!

The aim of the British soldiers was to attack, and no sooner did they leave the high ground about their camps to meet their enemy that the men found themselves involved in isolated combats, by small parties, by two and threes, and even of individuals, fought out to the death in the mist-laden copses below Mount Inkermann. Many fought alongside the Guards near the famed Sandbag Battery that was taken and re-taken on no les than seven occasions that day. Champion, who led the 95th, was mortally wounded, Major Hume was shot through the thigh, Macdonald, the Adjutant, received nearly twenty wounds by ball or bayonet; and till long past midday the unequal fight went on, until at its close the regiment had suffered casualties to the number of 144, and when the Company rolls were first called, barely 80 men answered to their names. Two Sergeants and 28 rank and file had been killed; four Officers, two Sergeants, and 108 of Other Ranks were wounded. Although the Battalion strength was under 100 as it marched away from Inkermann, it nevertheless continued to serve in the trenches before Sebastopol and the final attack on the fortifications. The saying in the 2nd Division went:

'There may be few of the 95th left, but those are as hards as nails.'

Thus they were given the nickname.

Its numbers reduced by three great losses in action, the survivors weakened by disease, exposure, and privation, the regiment yet continued during that awful winter on the Crimean uplands to do its full share of trench work; and when the campaign ended, the 95th had sustained a loss of 637 killed or dead of wounds and sickness, while 462 had been invalided.

Hume was invalided home in December 1854 and his Crimea Medal was presented to him from the hand of Queen Victoria on 18 May 1855. Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel 9 March 1855, became joined the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms in 1862. Hume died on 19 August 1892; sold together Warrant from the Heralds College for the award of his Order of the Bath.

The Medals of Lieutenant-Colonel John George Champion, C.B., 95th Foot were sold in these rooms in April 2019.

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Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£1600