THE EXCEPTIONAL & UNIQUE 88TH ‘DEVILS OWN’ CONNAUGHT RANGERS PAIR AWARDED TO A CAPTAIN, LATER MAJOR GENERAL, WHO JOINED THE 88TH AS A 12-YEAR-OLD ENSIGN IN 1805 & AFTER SURVIVING THE STORMING OF BADAJOZ WHERE HIS BATTALION SUFFERED SO GREATLY, WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED AT SALAMANCA WHERE THE 88TH ACHIEVED THE NOTABLE FEAT OF CAPTURING THE ‘JINGLING JONNY’ OF THE FRENCH 101ST REGIMENT; THIS MEDAL BEING UNIQUE TO AN OFFICER CASUALTY. A FELLOW OFFICER WOULD DESCRIBE THAT ‘WHEREVER HE WENT HE WAS THE MAGNET OF ATTRACTION & WHEN WE QUITTED MADRID IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A TRAIN OF VEHICLES MUCH MORE NUMEROUS THAN WOULD HAVE SUITED OUR ORDER OF MARCH TO CONVEY THOSE LADIES WHO WERE & WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE CLOSELY, ATTACHED TO HIM’. SERVING THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE PENINSULAR WAR, HE THEN SAILED TO AMERICA, HIS BATTALION TAKING PART IN THE PLATTSBURG CAMPAIGN & AFTERWARDS SERVED IN INDIA AS A.D.C. TO GENERAL SIR THOMAS REYNELL AND WAS SPECIALLY PROMOTED FOR HIS SERVICE AT THE TAKING OF BHURTPORE IN JANUARY 1826

MILITARY GENERAL SERVICE 1793, 7 CLASPS, FUENTES D’ONOR, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA, NIVELLE, NIVE, ORTHES, TOULOUSE ‘F. MEADE, LIEUT. 88TH FOOT’ CLASPS WIDELY SPACED ON A CUSTOM-MADE CARRIAGE WHICH IS DETACHED FROM THE SUSPENSION, ARMY OF INDIA 1799-1826, CLASP, BHURTPOOR ‘CAPTN. F. MEADE, 88TH FOOT, A.D.C.’ SHORT HYPHEN REVERSE, OFFICIALLY IMPRESSED NAMING, CLASP DETACHED FROM SUSPENSION AND LOOSE ON RIBBON.

Frederick Meade, son of Reverend Richard Meade, of Innishannon, county Cork, Ireland, was born circa 1793. On 26 March 1805 at the age of just 12 years old, he was appointed Ensign in the 88th Foot (Connaught Rangers). Appointed Lieutenant, 30 March 1809, Meade served with the 2nd Battalion 88th in the Peninsula from January to November 1810, including the siege of Cadiz, after which he served in the lines of Torres Vedras where he transferred to the 1st Battalion. He then served with 1/88th at Redhina, Casal Nova, Foz d’Arrouce, Sabugal, Fuentes D’Onor, 2nd siege of Badajoz, El Boden, capture of Badajoz, battles of Salamanca (where he was severely wounded), Nivelle, Orthes, Vic Bigorre, and Toulouse. He also served in North America in 1814, during the latter phases of the 1812 War, where his Regiment formed part of the force at the battle of Plattsburg…………

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GENERAL MEADE’S MEDALS

Although other MGS medals have been noted as extent with modified spaced clasps, why General Meade didn’t have the clasps refitted to the suspension is unclear as the removal and refitting of new backstraps was clearly done by a skilled jeweller. However it may well be that Meade wished to wear the clasps on their own, much like later veterans wore medal ribbon bars. This is borne out by the fact that roll bars have been refitted to both medal suspensions and the clasps themselves (see pic), which would allow the clasps to be suspended by a ribbon without the need for the medal itself to be in place. Meade was officially issued with 6 clasps to his M.G.S. medal and according to the medal roll is not entitled to the clasp for Nive which he clearly felt he was entitled to and no doubt was.

In all, 28 88th officers received the MGS medal and not counting surgeons just 7 survived to claim the clasp for Badajoz and 7 for Salamanca, Meade’s being the only medal awarded to an Officer casualty at the latter battle and thus is a rare example to an officer of this most important battle for the Regiment. Meade’s Army of India medal is also unique to the 88th Foot.

Condition EF, both with an attractive patina and original ribbons; the AoI ribbon much frayed. Sold with digital research including medal rolls, Regimental history, Adventures with the Connaught Rangers, Narrative of the siege and capture of bhurtpore etc.

A quite superb and unique pair to the 88th Ex Noonans Feb 2021 (£9750).