medal code j3532

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AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE 14TH FOOT WATERLOO AND BHURTPOOR PAIR TO PRIVATE WHO WAS WOUNDED BY A SWORD CUT DURING THE HAND TO HAND FIGHTING AT THE STORMING OF THE BREECH AT THE FORTRESS OF BHURTPOOR WHERE THE WATERLOO VETERANS FORMED THE FRONT RANK

WATERLOO 1815 ‘RICHARD LAMBERT, 3RD BATT. 14TH REG. FOOT’ FITTED WITH REPLACEMENT SILVER CLIP AND STRAIGHT BAR SUSPENSION; ARMY OF INDIA 1799-1826, 1 CLASP, BHURTPOOR ‘R. LAMBERT, 14TH FOOT’ SHORT HYPHEN REVERSE, OFFICIALLY IMPRESSED NAMING.

Richard Lambert, an 18 year old labourer from Kensington, Bedfordshire, enlisted into the 14th Foot at Roscommon, Ireland on 5 April 1814. He was present in Captain William Ross’s Company at the battle of Waterloo, for which he is credited with 2 years service. He further served in the East Indies from 1816 and was present in Captain Mackenzie’s Company at the storming and capture of Bhurtpoor on 18 January 1826. Here reputedly, the front rank of the 14th, consisting of Waterloo veterans, each of whom wore his Waterloo medal, led the storming. Captain MacKenzie was one of three Officers of the 14th singled out by the commanding General after the storming and Private Lambert himself was wounded during the battle, his papers noting he was “Severely wounded by a sword cut to the hand”. Discharged due to his wounds in May 1827, his service papers list Lambert as being admitted to Greenwich Hospital as an In Pensioner on 1 October 1864, an Out Pensioner 1 July 1868 (Ill health) and was still receiving a pension in January 1875…………….

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The Army of India roll notes that of 265 Officers and men of the 14th entitled to the Bhurtpoor clasped Army of India medal, just 38 were additionally entitled to the Waterloo medal. Of these likely only a handful were to Bhurtpoor casualties and fewer still would have been wounded by swords; the latter confirming Private Lambert was one of those who was wounded in hand to hand combat after storming through the breech.

Condition VF/GVF, Waterloo with old replacement iron clip and ring and a little polished to obverse. Ex Glendining 1934. A rare enough pair of medals to a Bhurtpoor stormer but extremely rare to a casualty, especially so to one wounded by a sword.

Code J3532        Price £5995