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Auction: 3016 - Orders, Medals, Decorations & Militaria
Lot: 494

A Rare, Early Indian Campaign Group Including a 'Sutlej' C.B. and Insignia of the Order of the Dooranee Empire to Lieutenant General J.D. Parsons, Bengal Army, Distinguished for His Conduct in the First Afghan War, the Gwalior and the Sutlej Campaigns:

(a) Order of the Bath, Companion's (C.B.) breast Badge, Military Division, 22ct. gold (lion passant, leopard's head, sun assay and standard marks, maker's initials WN), with gold riband buckle, some minor damage to green and white enamel, one of the small number of badges made, 1843-44 to augment the Central Chancery's depleted and damaged stock
(b) Army of India 1799-1826, 'long hyphen' reverse die type, one clasp, Nepaul (Lt. 2nd Bl. 25th N.I.), officially engraved, with silver riband bar
(c) Ghuznee 1839, reverse field inscribed 'James Parsons Lieut. Colonel Bengal Infantry', with contemporary fixed straight suspension bar
(d) Punniar Star 1843 (Lieutt. Colonel James Parsons 18th Regt. Native Infantry), with contemporary silver straight bar suspension and silver riband buckle, together with a 'second' Star, similarly mounted and inscribed in like style
(e) Sutlej 1845-46 for Moodkee 1845, two clasps, Ferozeshuhur, Sobraon (Lieut. Col: 18th Regt. N.I.)
(f) Afghanistan, Order of the Doranee Empire, an extremely rare 'set' of insignia of Afghan manufacture, breast Badge, 55mm. x 50mm., gold and enamel, the central blue, green and gold Persian inscription surrounded by 16 full pearls, with 58mm. straight bar suspension; Star, 74mm., silver, gold and enamels, with 17 full pearls, the group very fine or better unless otherwise stated (8)

Lieutenant General James Duckett Parsons, C.B. (1786-1868), born in Dublin, arrived in India, 1806 and was posted as Ensign, 25th Bengal Native Infantry, 1807; volunteered for foreign service and was present at the capture of the Isle of France, 1810 (shared prize money); Lieutenant, 1812; took part in the Nepal Campaign, 1815-16 and the Pindaree War, 1817-18; Captain 1824, Major, 1836; was appointed Deputy Commissariat General, 1837 a post he held until 1847.

Parsons served with the Army of the Indus in the First Afghan War and took part in the storming and the capture of Ghuznee, 23 July, 1839 (wounded; Mentioned on Despatches-London Gazette 30.10.1839; Dooranee Empire, Second Class-London Gazette 26.03.1841; Brevet Lieutenant Colonel); Lieutenant Colonel, 1842 and was posted to the 18th Native Infantry the following year; served in the Gwalior Campaign, 1843 and took part in the battle of Punniar (Mentioned in Despatches); served throughout the campaign on the Sutlej and was commended for his conduct at Ferozeshuhur when he rode several paces in front of the line, regulated the advance, animated the men and prevented any unnecessary firing (Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 23.02.1846); was again commended for his services at Sobraon for conveying orders in the face of every danger (Mentioned in Sir Hugh Gough's Despatch of 03.02.1846; C.B. for services in the Sutlej Campaign - London Gazette 03.04.1846); Brigadier Commanding the Gwalior Contingent, 1848-53; Colonel, 1853, Major General, 1854, Lieutenant General, 1867. Parsons served 62 years in the East without once returning home.


Dooranee Empire insignia is of itself a scarce commodity, but that of Afghan manufacture is of the highest rarity. Generally what appears for sale is of European manufacture, as British officers, the main recipients of the Order, hardly ever recieved their insignia from Shah Soojah-ul-mul, and therefore made their own arrangements.

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Sold for
£14,000