Ghuznee Cabul 1842 (Gunner James Donnelly 3rd Compy. 1st Battn. Bombay Foot Arty.) fitted with original steel clip and silver bar suspension, extremely fine £550-650

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Bombay Artillery.

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Provenance: Bought Spink 1961, ex McLaren Collection.

Approximately 360 medals awarded to European recipients with this reverse, including 25 to the two guns of the 3/1st Bombay Foot Artillery who remained at Quetta.

James Donnelly was born in 1807, a native of Garristown, Dublin. A Labourer by trade, he enlisted at Dublin on 18 July 1827, for unlimited service, aged 20. He embarked for India on 4 January 1828, in the Edinburgh, arriving on 1 June 1828. He was posted to the 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, Bombay Artillery, and was promoted to Bombardier in 1835. He served in Afghanistan in 1840-42, and was transferred to the Non-Effective List as Bombardier on 25 July 1844. Pensioned in January 1850, he is thought to be still alive in 1882.

The 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, Bombay Artillery, was present at the capture of Manora, near Karachi, in February 1840, Captain W. Brett in command. In January 1841, equipped as a Light Field Battery with six 9-pounders, four guns left Sukkur for Quetta, Captain C. Blood in command. Two guns, however, with Donnelly present, remained at Quetta when the other four guns marched to Candahar. These two guns rejoined at Candahar before Nott marched out to Cabul on 9 August, taking part in all subsequent actions in which the 3/1st were involved (See previous Lot for these services).