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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 299

The M.S.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant-Major T. Eales, Manchester Regiment, a pillar of the Regiment and one of the last members of the 63rd Regiment to serve past the amalgamation

Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (1783 Cpl. Thos. Eales. 63rd Regt.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (1783. Cr. Sgt. T. Eales.1/Manch:R.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, E.VII.R. (Serjy.Major. T. Eales. Manch: Regt.); Khedive's Star, dated 1882 (1783. C. Sgt. T. Eales. 1/Manch. R.), contemporarily engraved naming, heavy contact pitting from star, to first and second, overall nearly very fine (4)

Thomas Eales was born at Bushey, Watford, Middlesex around May 1853, the son of gamekeeper William Eales and his wife Mary. Enlisting at Westminster on 3 August 1870 with the 63rd Regiment of Foot he joined them in Ireland at the Depot in Cork, just prior to their deployment to India.

They embarked in October, arriving at Bombay in November and finally reaching their posting of Hazarabagh in December. They took part in 'Ordinary Relief' during the Bengal Famine of 1873 and were later part of the ceremonies surrounding the coronation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India.

The 63rd Regiment was still stationed in India during the first phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War and before they joined it Eales was advanced Corporal on 21 April 1879. They were not ordered to join the war until news arrived of the Maiwand disaster. They were swiftly posted to the Kandahar Field Force and joined the march on Kandahar although they arrived after the defeat of Ayub Khan by General Roberts. Nevertheless, their duties included guarding the lines of supply and skirmishing with rebellious tribesmen.

The end of the war saw the Regiment overwinter in Kandahar where Eales went down with pneumonia, as they returned to India they received the news that they were to be amalgamated and renamed The Manchester Regiment. Recovering from his illness Eales was promoted Sergeant on 9 January 1882 and Colour-Sergeant just the next month in February, the Battalion returned to Britain that same May.

However war was brewing elsewhere in the Empire and the newly minted 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment was diverted to Egypt for service in the Anglo-Egyptian War. They reached Suez on 4 September and disembarked to aid in the defence of Ismailia, remaining until the end of the campaign which came just two weeks later on 13 September at Tel-El-Kebir.

Returning to Britain, the year after they were garrisoned in the Tower of London from March 1883 due to civil unrest in London. It was there that they received their Khedive's Stars from Major-General Higginson. Not long after this Eales was to qualify as Sergeant-Instructor of Musketry on 1 May 1884, he did not serve in that rank for long however, soon being promoted Sergeant-Major on 9 September 1885.

In this rank he took part in the great review for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, one of 56,000 men to take part. After further service in Ireland he was discharged on 30 November 1905, settling in Woking as a publican. There he received the Meritorious Service Medal and annuity on 1 April 1904, he died in Essex on 7 July 1908, probably as the landlord of The Red Lion Inn, Boreham; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£500 to £700

Starting price
£400