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Auction: 23113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 287

Pair: Private George Gray, 93rd Highlanders

Crimea 1854-56, 2 clasps, Alma, Sebastopol (No. 2859. Private George Gray. 93rd Highlanders.), unofficially renamed; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Lucknow, Relief of Lucknow (No.2859. Private George Gray. 93rd Highlanders.) unofficially renamed, good fine (2)

George Gray was born in Dull, Perthshire in 1831. He attested into the 93rd Foot on 31 March 1851. The regiment embarked at Portsmouth on 27 February 1854 for the Crimea, via Malta. Gray was hospitalised due to an undiclosed complaint returning to duty upon recovery. Initially he was left at Malta on 6 April 1854 rejoining his company at Gallipoli on 16 April 1854.

The 93rd became famous during the Crimean War and took part in the storming of the height above the Alma River followd by a move to Sebastopol. On 24 September 1854 Gray was sent sick to Scutari where he appears to have remained, according to the muster rolls, until he rejoined the Regiment on 20 February 1855. Gray was present throughout and was also part of the Kerch expedition on 24 May 1855 where 60 ships containing 7,000 French, 5,000 Turkish and 3,000 British troops set off for a raid on the city of Kerch east of Sebastopol in an attempt to open another front on the Crimean peninsula and to cut off Russian supplies. The allies landed the force at Kerch. The plan was to outflank the Russian army. Whilst the landings were successful the force made little progress thereafter. On 16 June 1856 the Regiment sailed from the Crimea, their job done, arriving in Portsmouth a month later on 15 July 1856 and proceeded to Aldershot. Gray was granted furlough from 17 December and was also the recipient of 1d Good Conduct Pay with effect from 1 October. He was on a further period of leave until 9 February 1857. The regiment was ordered to China on 6 March 1857 and No. 3, 7 & 8 Companies emarked at Plymouth on 1 June 1857. Upon arriving at the Cape of Good Hope they received the news of the mutiny of the Bengal native army in India. The original plan of going to China was abandoned and the Regiment rerouted to India in the supression of the uprising arriving at Calcutta on 20 September 1857. Gray was involved in all the fighting but spent time in hospital whilst the Regiment was based in Subathoo, being discharged on 30 September 1859. The 93rd moved to Rawalpindi on 1 January 1860 where Gray was part of the first detachment at philoo and then the detachment at Shilum. They were then sent to Peshawar and Kurachi. An entry in Gray's muster roll mentions that he was sent to the Cape of Good Hope on 24 February 1862, the day he took his discharge in India. Nothing further is heard from Gray, however the Crimea medal rolls has the entry "Search 3.1.29-25154", and the Indian Mutiny having the entry "Search records 4.1.29-25154, both of these possibly being a late claim by a relative with the Royal Mint using what stock was available to it at the time.

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Sold for
£300

Starting price
£110