A Crimean War Al Valore Militare group of five awarded to Colonel Edward Gilling Hallewell, 28th Regiment, Commandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1864-69

France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, one wreath segment detached, enamel damage elsewhere; Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Captain Hallewell, 28 Regt. D.A.Q.M.G. Lt. D.) contempoary engraved naming: Sardinia, Al Valore Militare, silver, initials ‘F.G.’ below wreath, reverse inscribed, ‘Lt. Col. Edmd. Gilling Hallewell, 28th Regt.’; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed, replacement ring suspension; Ottoman Empire, Order of Medjidie, 5th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, mounted in the above order as worn, ribbons fragmentary, Al Valore Militare detached, contact marks, very fine except where stated (5)
£2000-2400

Edmund Gilling Hallewell was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire in April 1822, the son of the Minister of the same name and his wife Martha - one of 12 children. He purchased a commission of Ensign with the 28th Regiment on 31 December 1839, was promoted to Lieutenant in April 1842 and purchased the rank of Captain in December 1848. Hallewell served in the Eastern Campaign, 1854-55, as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General to the Light Division, seeing action at the battles of Alma and Inkermann and at the siege of Sebastopol. For his services in the war he was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Ottoman Order of Medjidie and Sardinian Al Valore Militare. Additionally he was awarded the brevet of Major in December 1854 and advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1855. In November 1860 he attained the rank of Colonel and in 1864 he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, a position he held until 1869.

Like many military officers of the period, he made drawings and watercolours of the places in which he was stationed. His first overseas posting at the end of 1841 took him to Bermuda, where he produced his first known watercolour. Further works have survived from his time in Canada, 1847-49. Watercolours, sketches and drawn plans of his exist from his time in the Crimea; notably a panorama sketch of Sebastopol and the allied camps which was prepared for Queen Victoria. Having received the work, the Queen in turn requested Lord Raglan to convey her best thanks to Hallewell for his excellent work. With copied research.

For the recipient’s miniature medals, see lot 657. For his son’s medals and miniatures, see lots 864 and 652.