Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Thomas Whitehead, 1st Foot or Royal Scots, a veteran of Corunna and the Walcheren Expedition, who received three wounds at St Sebastian in July 1813

Waterloo 1815 (Thomas Whitehead, 3rd Bat. 1st Foot or R. Scots.) fitted with contemporary replacement silver clip and bar suspension, edge bruising, otherwise nearly very fine £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Napoleonic War Medals.

View
Collection

Thomas Whitehead was born at Norwich, Norfolk, and attested for the 1st Foot at Canterbury on 7 September 1807, aged 18, for unlimited service. He served a total of 20 years 85 days, including 2 years for Waterloo, and was discharged on 30 November 1825, ‘being worn out by long service and chronic rheumatism’. It was noted that his conduct had been ‘good’ and that he was ‘wounded by a musket ball in the left groin and the first toe of the right foot and by a gunshot in the left side of the neck at San Sebastian 25 July 1813.

The Assistant Surgeon of the regiment noted that ‘Private Thomas Whitehead has been severely afflicted with chronic rheumatism the last three years. He has served at Corunna, in Walcheren, in the Peninsula and at Waterloo with the regiment and has been several times wounded. His long service, wounds and attacks of rheumatism appear to me to have worn him out and rendered him incapable of further service.’ He was admitted to a Chelsea Hospital out-pension on 16 December 1825, and died on 2 May 1846. Sold with copied discharge papers.