Orders, Decorations and Medals

The unique Waterloo medal to Captain Stephen Holmes, 78th Foot, late 24th Foot, with which regiment he greatly distinguished himself in leading the storming party in the successful assault of the main breach at Burgos in October 1812

Waterloo 1815 (Captain Stephen Holmes, 78th Foot) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, the obverse with light contact marks, very fine, the reverse nearly extremely fine and unique to an officer in this regiment £6000-8000

The only Waterloo Medal issued to an officer in the 78th Foot.

Captain Stephen Holmes served in the Peninsula and led a Forlorn Hope at the siege of Burgos in 1812. He was Major of Brigade in the Waterloo campaign under Major-General Johnston. He was appointed a Knight of Hanover (K.H.) in 1832 and as a Lieutenant-Colonel received the appointment of Deputy Inspector General of the Irish Constabulary in 1838. He died on 19 December 1839.

Holmes served in the 24th Foot throughout the war in the Peninsula and came to prominent notice for his deeds at the siege of Burgos:

On the afternoon of the 4th October 1812, the 2nd Battalion 24th Foot, were marched into the trenches, where they were formed into two storming parties. One hundred and forty men were detailed for the assault on the main breach, led by Lieutenant Stephen Holmes, whilst the second party, comprising 58 men led by Lieutenant Fraser, were detailed to assault the breach expected to be made by the mine. The attack was to be delivered in daylight and many officers of other regiments managed to find their way to the hill to witness the assault, Wellington himself being present on San Miguel.

At 5 p.m. the signal for the explosion was given by Colonel Jones, the engineer in charge, afterwards the historian of Wellington’s sieges. He was hit in the act of giving the signal, but the mine went off and simultaneously the 24th dashed forward. The party who made for the new breach made by the mine, led by Lieutenant John Fraser, were there so soon that many were hit by falling stones, and all were covered by dust and fragments. This did not stop them, and before the surprised enemy could offer much resistance they were up and over the breach. Many defenders had been killed and directly Captain Lepper and the supports joined Lieutenant Fraser’s stormers the breach was secured and the attackers started to consolidate. The main body had a harder task: they had farther to go and here the defenders had not been shaken by the explosion. But, headed by Lieutenant Holmes, the 24th dashed forward and though received with a hot fire swarmed up the breach, where a savage struggle followed.

The 24th maintained themselves in the captured position until nightfall, when they were relieved. On reaching their camp they found it thronged with officers who had come to offer their congratulations. Carried out in full view of a large concourse, the storm had caught the imagination of the army and won the battalion great renown. The storm had cost the 24th twelve men killed, and two officers, Coote and Stack, and 56 men wounded. Wellington himself wrote warmly of the 24th, whose conduct he described to Lord Bathurst as ‘highly praiseworthy’, while he wrote a special letter to the Duke of York to recommend to H.R.H.’s ‘favour and protection’ Captain Hedderwick and Lieutenants Holmes and Fraser, who had so greatly distinguished themselves.

On the recommendation of Lord Wellington, Holmes was promoted to be a Captain in the 8th West India Regiment and Fraser was promoted to be a Captain in the 1st Ceylon Light Infantry, both promotions gained in recognition of their gallant services at Burgos.

Further details of Colonel Holmes’ career are extracted from his obituary in the Untied Services Journal (1840):

‘Dec. 19th (1840), in Dublin, Lieut.-Colonel Stephen Holmes, K.H., Unattached, Deputy Inspector-General of Constabulary in Ireland. This lamented officer entered the service as Ensign in the 6th Garrison Battalion, in 1806, and successfully obtained the appointments of Lieutenant and Adjutant in the same corps. In the latter end of 1809 he was transferred to the 24th Regiment, then in Portugal, which he joined in the month of February following, and in which Regiment he served during the whole of the campaigns of 1810, 1811, and 1812, having been present at the battles of Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, Salamanca, and some minor affairs, as well as the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Burgos. At the latter fortress, he volunteered to lead the storming party, which succeeded in the assault of the main breech on the 4th Oct. 1812, and of his conduct on this occasion, his Grace the Duke of Wellington was pleased, in his dispatch to Lord Bathurst, to express his approbation, in consequence of which he obtained his promotion to a Company in the 8th W.I. Regiment, which, however, he never joined. In the course of the foregoing service he acted as Brigade Major to the Brigades of the Line in the 1st and 7th Divisions under the command of Major-Generals the Hon. Sir Edward Stopford and Sir Edward Barnes.

In February, 1814, Captain Holmes was transferred from the 8th W.I. Regiment to the 78th, and immediately joined the 2nd Battalion (then employed in the blockade of Antwerp), which formed part of the Army in Flanders under Lord Lynedoch, and continued to serve with his Regiment until appointed Brigade Major to Major-General Mackenzie’s Brigade. The Brigade broken up, he was removed to that of Sir Frederick Adam, and subsequently to Major-General Johnston’s, in the 6th Division, in which latter he served during the campaign of 1815, but owing to its not being brought into action at Waterloo, he lost the chance of the promotion, which, we believe, was obtained by every Brigade-Major whose Brigade was engaged on that day.



After the taking of Cambray, in which General Johnston’s Brigade was employed, Lieut.-General Sir Charles Colville, who commanded the Division, recommended Captain Holmes for promotion, but his recommendation was unattended with success. Captain Holmes continued on the Staff until the formation of the Army of Occupation, when he returned to England in January, 1816, with the troops then ordered home, and on the 24th of February following, he was, by the reduction of the 2nd Battalion of the 78th, placed upon half-pay, and so remained till appointed to the 90th, in February, 1820. In the September following he proceeded to Malta and the Ionian Islands, where he served with his Regiment until appointed Major of Brigade at Corfu. On the 24th of December, 1825, he obtained an unattached Majority by purchase, and continued to hold the appointment of Brigade-Major till July 1827, when Major-General the Hon. F. C. Ponsonby appointed him Military Secretary on his staff at Malta, which appointment he continued to hold until Sir Frederick’s state of health compelled him to relinquish his command. In 1838, he was included among the general Brevet promotion of that year, and thus obtained his Lieut.-Colonelcy.

In 1824 he married, at Corfu, the eldest daughter of Major-General Sir Patrick Ross, commanding the troops in the Ionian Islands, Colonel Holmes at that time Brigade-Major to Sir Patrick.

Colonel Holmes joined the Irish Constabulary as Provincial Inspector of Leinster in 1837, and in 1838 was appointed Deputy Inspector-General. The value of Colonel Holmes services during his tenure of office in the Irish Constabulary, have been thus handsomely acknowledged by the amiable nobleman at present filling the office of Viceroy of Ireland, whose letter to Colonel McGregor, Chief of the Department, we venture to quote in justice to its meritorious subject.

Phoenix Park, Dec. 23d, 1839.
Dear Sir, - In compliance with the wish expressed to you by Colonel Holmes, I request that you will announce to Mrs. Holmes and his family, my intention of appointing his brother to the vacant Paymastership of the Constabulary. Amidst the regret which I feel at the loss which the public has suffered from the death of Colonel Holmes, it is some satisfaction to me to have an opportunity of manifesting by the above appointment, as well to those most nearly connected with him as to all members of that Force to which he belonged, my high sense of his meritorious and valuable services.
I am, dear Sir,
Very faithfully your’s
Ebrington.

The premature decease of Colonel Holmes, itself deplorable, was rendered more affecting by the concurrent death of his son, a promising boy of nine years, who was interred in the same grave with his father, at Harold’s Cross, near Dublin. Four children survive, who with their afflicted mother, are now under the roof of their excellent relative, Sir Patrick Ross

Colonel Holmes, who was in his 49th year, processed every qualification to ensure respect and affection. Highly prepossessing in appearance and manners, truly amiable in disposition, a good soldier, and an excellent man, he has descended to the grave, followed by the respect and sorrow of all who knew him.’