Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Field Officer’s Gold Medal for Talavera awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Chamberlayne, 24th Foot, who succeeded to the command of the regiment at Talavera and commanded the regiment at Fuentes D’Onor

Field Officer’s Small Gold Medal, for Talavera (Major Thos. Chamberlayne, 2nd Bn. 24th) complete with original gold ribbon buckle; together with a very fine portrait miniature of Major Chamberlayne in the uniform of the 24th Foot wearing his gold medal, watercolour on board, circa 1820, unsigned but of high quality with very good detail, a minor die flaw in reverse field of the gold medal, otherwise extremely fine £5000-6000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Choice Collection of Medals and other items to the 24th Foot (South Wales Borderers).

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See colour illustration on front cover.

Thomas Chamberlayne was born on 6 December 1774, son of Joseph Chamberlayne of Great Meeting, Leicester. He was appointed Ensing in the 24th Foot in March 1794 and embarked immediately for Canada where he served for a year and a half. After obtaining six months leave, Chamberlayne accompanied his regiment in the expedition to Egypt, as Captain of the Grenadier Company, and was in the action against Alexandria on the 22nd August 1801, under Sir Eyre Coote. He next served as a Volunteer with the 1st battalion 24th Foot at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, and subsequently in Spain and Portugal. He was present at the battle of Talavera on 28 July 1809, where he succeeded to the command of the 24th Foot, all the senior officers being either killed or wounded, and also to the command of the 2nd Brigade later during the action. He commanded the 24th Foot at the battle of Fuentes D’Onor on 5 May 1811, at which battle he had a narrow escape when his horse refused to jump a wall on the right flank which was being attacked by the French. Luckily, some men made a gap through which his horse could jump and he just got away as the French reached him. In November 1812, having been invalided from the Peninsula, Chamberlayne took command of the Depot at Malden, Essex, and in April 1813 he left the 2nd Battalion on appointment to the 1st Battalion. In September 1814 he arrived in India to take command of the 1st Battalion 24th Foot in the campaign against Nepaul, but, owing to sickness, returned home the following year, Colonel Kelly subsequently arriving to take command. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Chamberlayne died aged 51 years at Overleden, Brussels, on 2 November 1826. See Front Cover Illustration.