Orders, Decorations and Medals

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Albuhera, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Toulouse (Thos. Munn, 57th Foot) suspension claw tightened and carriage fractured on one side between first two clasps, otherwise nearly very fine £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The collection of Medals formed by the Late Clive Nowell.

View
Collection

During the early part of the war in the Peninsula, the regiment, which contained a number of turbulent characters in its ranks, received the nickname of the ‘Steelbacks’, from the amount of flogging administered to these men and the way they bore the punishment; but after Albuhera, Colonel Inglis’ words to his ‘fighting villains’ caused this soubriquet to be replaced by the honourable one of ‘Die Hards.’ At this bloodiest of battles the 57th had 2 officers and 87 men killed and 21 officers and 318 men wounded.