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Auction: 26001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 16

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp Albuhera (P. Cook, Serjeant. 13th Light Dragoons.), pawnbroker's mark to rim, good very fine

According to the Medal Roll compiled by Colin Message, there are just 12 single 'Albuhera' clasps to the 13th Light Dragoons.

Provenance:
Glendining's, November 1956.
Spink, July 1983.

Philip Cook served with the 13th Light Dragoons in the Peninsula, where the regiment had a varied record: at the Battle of Albuera, they were stationed at the narrow Albuera Bridge and later helped to cover Cole's southern advance - the 13th were extremely fortunate to suffer but a single casualty in what is known as the war's bloodiest open battle. They later played a minor role at the Battle of Usagre during Marshal Beresford's pursuit of French General Soult, but were prominently engaged at both the battle of Campo Maior (25 March 1811) and at Arroyo Dos Molinos, in October the same year. In the former engagement, the 13th (barely 200 strong) broke six squadrons of French cavalry and then continued on a wild pursuit of the enemy, subsequently overrunning a convoy of 18 siege guns and literally riding up to the walls of the fortress of Badajoz before retiring in disorder. Upon hearing of this, Wellington severely reprimanded the regiment, calling them a "rabble" and threatening to remove their horses and have the men provide dismounted guard duty in Lisbon! Sir John Fortesque's later assessment was, however, more positive, writing: 'Of the performance of the Thirteenth, who did not exceed two hundred men, in defeating twice or thrice their numbers single-handed, it is difficult to speak too highly'; sold together with the original Spink invoice.

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Estimate
£600 to £800

Starting price
£480