Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare and important Military General Service Medal for Maida awarded to Major W. S. Plenderleith, who commanded the 81st Foot on that occasion: though favourably “mentioned” in Major-General Sir John Stuart’s despatch immediately following the battle, his leadership later appears to have become the subject of a secretive but nonetheless telling smear campaign - so much so that he was never awarded the Maida Gold Medal to which he was properly entitled

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Maida (W. J. Plenderleith, Majr. 81st Ft.) note second initial, good very fine £3500-4000

William Smythe Plenderleith was originally appointed an Ensign in the 60th Foot in November 1793, but shortly afterwards transferred to the Royal Fusiliers, and thence the 81st Foot, in which latter regiment he purchased a Captaincy in February 1797 and a Majority in April 1803.

His subsequent command of the Regiment at Maida in July 1806 seems to have become a topic of heated and unfavourable debate in the years following that great victory, but in terms of his immediate “mention” in Major-General Sir John Stuart’s despatch dated 6 July 1806, his leadership appeared anything but contentious:

‘Brigadier-General Ackland, whose Brigade was immediately on the left of the Light Infantry, with great spirit availed himself of this favourable moment to press instantly forward upon the Corps in his front; the brave 78th Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel MacLeod, and the 81st Regiment, under Major Plenderleath, both distinguished themselves on this occasion. The enemy fled with dismay and disorder before them, leaving the plain covered with their dead and wounded ... ’ (London Gazette 5 September 1806 refers).

As, however, revealed in a memorandum written in July 1828 by a fellow officer, Major (afterwards Major-General) Stewart of Garth, and published in The Military History of Perthshire in 1908, Plenderleith was responsible for almost turning victory into defeat as the battle reached its zenith:

‘Major-General Stewart had an opportunity of performing some important pieces of service at the battle of Maida. The circumstances being of such a nature that a public notice of them might be injurious to the character of some brother officers, long dead, he has foreborne speaking of the subject and cautioned the officers who were present to do the same; and now he will only state a few brief particulars.

After the enemy had been driven by the first charge at the battle of Maida, Major Stewart observed the Officer Commanding the 81st Regiment did not seem to understand or act to his instructions; he therefore rode to his part of the field and remonstrated with him, a remedy was instantly applied, and by his timely interference, was prevented a serious calamity which might have affected the character of that officer and the general success of the day ... Fearful, as he had already observed, that the circumstances if known would prove injurious to the officers, Major Stewart requested of General Sir John Stuart not to represent the case to the Secretary of State as he expressed a wish to do, in justice, as he said, to an officer to whom he owed so much - for the question rested upon this, whether Maida was to be an honourable achievement, or a thorough defeat - but that disaster was prevented.

Now as 20 years had elapsed and as the present representation is intended for a foreign power which will ask for no names, Major Stewart trusts that there is no impropriety in mentioning the subject thus confidentially.’

Plenderleith briefly held an appointment in the 100th Foot following Maida, but was suddenly placed on the Retired List in June 1808. He died at his residence in Ramsgate on 5 June 1863, aged 88 years - never having received the Maida Gold Medal to which he was entitled and not, as suggested by Tancred, in his Historical Record of Medals & Honorary Distinctions having ‘died before the Medal was issued’: surely further evidence if it were needed that his reputation had been smeared by his old comrades and of a deliberate campaign to prevent him receiving his due entitlement to that rare distinction.