Auction Catalogue

28 June 2000

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Regus Conference Centre  12 St James Square  London  SW1Y 4RB

Lot

№ 323

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28 June 2000

Hammer Price:
£820

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Java (D. Fraser, Serjt. 78th Foot) minor edge nicks and surface scuffs, otherwise good very fine £500-600

Ex Coutts Collection 1916, and sold by Glendining’s on various occasions 1904-21.

Donald Fraser was born in Inverness, Scotland, and enlisted into the 78th regiment on 11 April 1794, aged about 20 years. After a spell of duty in the U.K., the 78th were drafted to India and, early in 1803, Fraser was promoted to Corporal, shortly before the outbreak of the second Mahratta war. The regiment, serving under Major-General Arthur Wellesley, had a distinguished record in this campaign and Fraser was present at all the engagements in which his regiment took part, including the battle of Assaye, the capture of Argaum, and the taking of the fortress of Gawilghur. At the battle of Assaye the 78th were particularly distinguished and suffered very heavy casualties, amounting to 124 killed and 270 wounded. It was one of the most decisive and desperate battles fought in India at this time, and the first of the Iron Duke’s great victories in which he was commander in chief. Fraser’s Army of India medal with three clasps for these actions was sold by Sotheby in December 1896 and again by Debenham’s the following year, since when its whereabouts remain unknown.

In 1806 Fraser was promoted to Sergeant and, in 1811, took part in the expedition to Java where the 78th suffered heavily, both from disease and in action. Fraser himself was wounded in the left knee at the capture of the capital, Batavia, on 10 August 1811, in consequence of which he was invalided to England in 1812 and discharged on 24 August 1813. He subsequently returned to Inverness to live and died there on 2 July 1867, at the ripe old age of 93 years. Sold with copy discharge papers.