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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 29

Military General Service 1793-1814, 5 clasps, Talavera, Busaco, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Toulouse (F. Gibson, Corpl. 66th Foot.), edge knock, good very fine

Unique clasp combination, Gibson is the sole member of his Regiment entitled to these clasps.

Francis Gibson was born in 1789 in Maybole, Scotland and enlisted with the 66th Foot in 1807 in Ireland, later disembarking at Belem in April 1809 and forming part of General Hill's Brigade in the Peninsular campaign. They quickly saw action the following month at the Battle of the Douro where they crossed the Douro River in barges and fought the French at the walled seminary. They next fought at Talavera in July 1809 as part of General Tilson's Brigade in Hill's 2nd Division, fighting to the left of Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley's line. At the Battle of Busaco in September 1810 they were present but saw little action. Wellesley later formed the First Provisional Battalion from the remaining regiments in the wake of the heavy losses faced at the Battle of Albuera, for which Gibson was not present. The unit, which suffered a 62% casualty rate in Albuera, formed one wing of the Battalion through the remainder of the war with Gibson being promoted to Corporal on 25 March 1813.

They fought at the Battle of Vittoria as part of Major-General Byng's Brigade in Hill's 2nd Division, in which they remained for the Battle of the Pyrenees on 25 July 1813. The Brigade was positioned at Roncesvalles and held off Clausel's advance for hours before finally falling back to Altobiscar, regrouping two days later at Sorauren and helping to defeat the French and successfully push them out of Spain. French General Soult was finally defeated at the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814, though the First Provisional Battalion was not engaged in much fighting and disembarked for Cork shortly afterwards, with Gibson promoted to Serjeant in November 1815.

Gibson also had the distinction of guarding the exiled Emperor Napoleon on the remote isle of St. Helena, for which he embarked with his Regiment in January 1816. Whilst on St. Helena, the 2/66th Foot was disbanded and absorbed by the 1/66th Foot, into which Gibson transferred before being reduced to Private in October 1820. The Regiment left for England following Napoleon's death on 5 May 1821, with Gibson in the final detachment to arrive. Once back home, Gibson was promoted to Corporal in 1822 before being again reduced to Private the following year. He was discharged at Dublin in 1826 having been 'worn out in the service' and later lived in the Aberdeen Pension District for the few years preceding his death, which occurred on 3 April 1848 at the age of 59; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£1,200

Starting price
£1100