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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 15

Military General Service 1793-1814, 2 clasps, Vittoria, Toulouse (W. Leigh, 2nd Life Gds), very fine

Provenance:
Glendining's, 1963.

William Leigh was born in 1788 at Acle, Norfolk and enlisted with the 2nd Life Guards in 1807. They joined the Peninsular War in 1812 and joined Hill's Household Cavalry Brigade, first seeing action at the Battle of Vittoria in June 1813, where they drove off the French Infantry. The unit was present for the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814 but was not engaged in any action, and returned to England that July.

They returned to the continent to join the Waterloo campaign, Leigh's participation at the battle is confirmed by his presence on the Roll. During the Battle of Waterloo, the Regiment was part of Major-General Somerset's Household Brigade and were positioned next to the Brussels-Genappe road. Following an attack on the infantry, they were ordered to charge and crossed the road to join The Royals in routing the Cuirassiers. They also later took part in the Union Brigade's charge to Napoleon's Grand Battery, which was halted by heavy enemy fire. The 2nd Life Guards suffered the highest casualty rate of any British cavalry Regiment which participated at the Battle of Waterloo. After the battle, they were in Paris from July 1815 until February 1816 when they returned home.

Leigh would have been present with the rest of the Waterloo veterans of the unit as the guard of honour at the opening of Waterloo Bridge on 18 June 1817. He was finally discharged in 1821 in consequence of 'gradual decay of vision from an affliction of the interior of both eyes, acquired in the course of severe service abroad', with his conduct cited as 'good, and he is particularly commended to favourable consideration'. He was admitted to pension and appears to have spent the rest of his life living in London. He died on 6 January 1854, aged 67, at his home in Marylebone; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£1,100

Starting price
£600