Corporal John Brokie, 79th Foot, who, taken prisoner at Fuentes d’Onor, escaped after one month in captivity, and was severely wounded in the right thigh at Toulouse and in both thighs and testicles at Waterloo

Military General Service 1793-1814, 7 clasps, Corunna, Fuentes D’Onor, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Toulouse (J. Brokie, Corporal, 79th Foot.) good very fine £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Napoleonic War Medals.

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Provenance: Payne Collection 1911; Mackenzie Collection 1913; Needes Collection 1919, sold Glendining, July 1940; Glendining, December 1954; Liverpool Medals, September 1999.


John Brokie was born in Edinburgh and enlisted there for the 79th Foot on 15 July 1804, aged 18, for unlimited service. He was discharged at Limerick on 27 August 1821, ‘being worn out from service & gun shot wounds’, after 17 years 44 days service, the last 62 days in the rank of Corporal, and allowed 2 years extra for Waterloo.

His statement of service records that ‘he served in Denmark in 1807, Sweden in 1808, Portugal and Spain in 1809, Walcheren in 1809, Portugal and Spain in 1810, 1811 & 1812, South of France in 1813 & 1814, Flanders and France in 1815, 1816, 1817 & 1818, and was present at the actions of Quatre Bras and Waterloo - was severely wounded in the Right Thigh at Toulouse and through both Thighs and Testicles at Waterloo - was taken Prisoner of War on 5th May 1811 and escaped 8th June 1811’.

John Brokie was sent to Kilmainham Hospital out-pension on 12 September 1821, and died in Edinburgh on 18 May 1861.

Sold with copied discharge papers and other research.