Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Peninsula War group awarded to Major-General Sir Charles Bruce, K.C.B., 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment

(a) The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s neck badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1814, maker’s mark ‘IN’ for John Northam, with its original 110mm investment neck cravat with gold clasp

(b) Army Gold Cross 1806-14, for Vittoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes (Lieutt. Coll./Chas. Bruce/39th Foot) complete with swivel-ring bar suspension and gold ribbon buckle

(c) Field Officer’s Gold Medal 1808-14, for Vittoria, 1 clasp, Nivelle (Lieut. Colonel Charles Bruce) extremely fine (3) £25000-30000

Charles Bruce was born in the East Indies on 24 March 1777, and joined the army aged fifteen as an Ensign in the 52nd Foot in February 1792; Lieutenant, 99th Foot, August 1793; Captain 105th Foot, April 1794; Captain 39th Foot, October 1795; Brevet Major 1803; Major 39th Foot, March 1805; Lieutenant-Colonel 39th Foot, July 1810.

Captain Bruce served with the 39th in the West Indies at Surinam and Antigua and was present at the capture of Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo in 1796, and remained in the West Indies until December 1803. Returning home he served at Malta from December 1805, and in Sicily, as Major, in 1809. In 1810 the 39th joined Wellington’s army in the Peninsula, and Bruce was present in the battles of Vittoria, 21 June 1813, where he commanded the 1st Battalion of the 39th, and had his horse shot under him, and at Nivelle, Nive and Orthes. During the invasion of France he was severely wounded in the face in the attack on the Heights of Garris, near St Pallais, on 15 February 1814, and received a gratuity of one year’s pay.

He was, on this last occasion, mentioned in Wellington’s dispatch, dated ‘St Jean de Luz’, 20 February 1814: ‘On the 15th ... towards St Palais ... the 2nd division ... should attack in front. Those troops made a most gallant attack upon the enemy’s position, which was remarkably strong, but which was carried without very considerable loss ... the enemy ... made repeated attempts to regain the position, particularly in two attacks, which were most gallantly received and repulsed by the 39th regiment ... The Major-General [Pringle], and Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce, of the 39th, were unfortunately wounded.’

After the battle of Toulouse, 10 April 1814, where the regiment unfortunately played no part, Bruce sailed for Canada with the 1st Battalion of the 39th from Bordeaux, and returned the following year to command the 2nd Battalion in France. He was made C.B. in 1815, and remained serving with the army before Paris and with the Army of occupation until 1816, when he was placed on half-pay by reduction. Made Brevet Colonel in August 1819, he went on full pay as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 69th Foot in March 1820, went on half-pay again in April 1826, by reduction, before returning to full pay as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 64th Foot in May 1828. Advanced to K.C.B. in 1831, Major-General Bruce died in 1832.