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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 89

Three: Private R. Learmouth, 53rd Regiment of Foot, who was wounded in action before Lucknow in 1858

Punjab 1848-49, 1 clasp, Goojerat (Robt Learmouth, 53rd Foot.); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Lucknow, Relief of Lucknow (Robt Learmouth, 53rd Regt); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Northwest Frontier (2746 R. Learmouth H.Ms 53rd Regt), contact marks, light contact wear, very fine overall and a rare combination (3)

Provenance:
March Medal, June 1993.

One of 12 combinations of three medals and four clasps to this Regiment from their time in India.

Robert Learmouth enlisted at Chatham on 21 April 1841 with the 21st Foot with the service number 1660, he transferred to the 53rd Foot with the new number 2746 prior to the Second Anglo-Sikh War. Surviving the fighting at Goojerat, Learmouth was later in action with his Regiment during the Indian Mutiny. He is listed as wounded in action during the operations before Lucknow between 12-22 November 1857.

During this period detachments of the 53rd Footwere part of the attack on the La Martiniere College and later the famous attack upon the Secundrabagh compound. Whilst the other troops forced the main gate and the breach in the wall, the men of the 53rd managed to enter the building through a window which they had cleared of defenders. The next day they seized the Mess House, and for their actions at Lucknow the men of the Regiment earned four Victoria Crosses at the cost of 76 men killed and wounded.

An article in the OMRS Journal dated Autumn 1985 notes that only 120 IGSMs for the North West Fronter were issued to the 53rd Regiment. This was the result of a miscommunication between the India Office and the War Office, after some negotiation it was decided to stop issuing the medal as the Regiment did not meet the qualifications for the medal. However those who had been issued with the award were to be allowed to keep it since it was impractical to withdraw the award and they had been present on the expedition, albeit not under fire; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£1,100

Starting price
£320