Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Gunner William Coard, Bombay Artillery

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Persia (Gunner W. Coard. Artillery); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Gunr. Wm. Coard, 3rd Tp. H. Bde. Bombay Arty.) contact marks, nearly very fine (2) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Bombay Artillery.

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Provenance: Mutiny bought Seaby 1962; I.G.S. bought Sterling 1989.

William Coard was born in 1829 at Bangor, County Down, and enlisted at Limerick on 22 August 1853, for 12 years. He embarked for India aboard the Ascendant on 30 September 1853, and arrived there on 9 March 1854. Posted to 1st Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery, he subsequently transferred to 3rd Troop and served with 3rd Troop in Persia and during the Indian Mutiny. The medal roll shows him as being present at the capture of Gwalior and in Central India.

3rd Troop Bombay Horse Artillery served in the Persian War of 1856-57 as part of the 1st Division, under Major-General Stalker. It took part in the landing at Hallila Bay and storming of Reshire, 9 December 1856, and the capture of Bushire, 10 December. Under Sir John Outram, it marched on the entrenched position of Borazgoon, 3-6 February, a distance of 46 miles covered in 41 hours in bad weather, and took part in the action at Khooshab on 8 February. Accompanied the force by sea to the mouth of the Shatt-al-Arab and took part in the capture of Mohammerah on 26 March.

3rd Troop marched from Karachi on 14 December 1857, via Hyderabad and Rohri, and across the desert to Nasirabad, where it joined the Rajputana Field Force, under Major-General Roberts. The troop was present at the capture of Kotah, 30 March 1858, and pursuit of the garrison (2 guns); expedition to Pardowa, 6 May; recapture of Chanderi, 27 May. With the Central India Field Force, under Brigadier-General Smith, it fought the action at Kotah ki Serai, 17 June; the siege and capture of Gwalior, 18-20 June; capture of Paori, 21 August; pursuit of Man Singh, action at Bijapore (2 guns); pursuit of Tantia Topi, and actions at Sindwano (4 guns), 19 October; Kuraie, 25 October; and Koondraiee, 14 November. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel E. S. Blake, the Troop marched 2,626 miles between 14 December 1857 and 21 May 1859, when it returned to Nasirabad.