Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Corporal Richard Mayo, 24th Foot, reported ‘killed’ in the Forlorn Hope at Burgos but actually taken prisoner

Military General Service 1793-1814, 4 clasps, Busaco, Fuentes D’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca (Richd. Mayo, Corpl. 24th Foot.) some edge bruises, otherwise good very fine £2000-2500

Richard Mayo enlisted into the 2nd Battalion 24th Foot on 20 January 1807. He accompanied the regiment to the Peninsula in 1809 but missed Talavera as he was sick in hospital at the time. He saw action at the battles of Busaco in September 1810 and Fuentes d’Onor in May 1811, now a Corporal, the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, and the battle of Salamanca the following July. The regimental muster roll for 4 October 1812, shows Mayo as being ‘Killed at Burgos’. In fact he had been taken prisoner, most probably wounded, and the muster roll for 1 May 1814 shows him as returned from ‘Prisoner of War’. He is recorded as having served up to November 1814 when the battalion returned home and was disbanded.

At 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.

Sold with relevant copied regimental muster rolls.