Auction Catalogue

11 & 12 December 2013

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1280

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12 December 2013

Hammer Price:
£750

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Lieut. T. Maclachlan, 1st Tp. H. Bde. Bombay Arty.) light handling marks, otherwise good very fine £400-500

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

View A Collection of Medals to the Bombay Artillery

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Collection

Provenance: Bought Baldwin 1966.

Thomas James Machlachlan was born on 12 April 1828, at Rotheray, Bute, the son of Thomas Maclachlan, a surgeon, and Jessy MacRae. He was nominated a Cadet for Addiscombe for the season 1844-45 by E.I.C. Director Major-General Archibald Robertson, being examined and passed by the E.I.C. Selection Committee on 22 January 1845. However, on 7 February 1845 he was rejected by Addiscombe for three months as ‘not qualified in Arithmetic.‘ Machlachlan passed his Public Examination at Addiscombe on 11 June 1847 and on the same day was gazetted a Second Lieutenant in the Bombay Army. He sailed for India in the S.S.
Erin on 3 September 1847, and there saw service with the 3rd Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery, being promoted to Lieutenant on 28 March 1853.

Machlachlan’s whereabouts at the time of the outbreak of the Mutiny in May 1857 are not known but in 1858 he is shown as being Adjutant and Quartermaster to the Artillery at Mhow. However, very early in that year the Central India Field Force was formed under Sir Hugh Rose and Machlachlan was appointed Adjutant. He proceeded with Sir Hugh Rose and the Second Brigade, under Brigadier-General Stewart, and was present at nearly all of the engagements of that brigade, including the reduction of Rahatgarh, 26 January 1858; Barodia, 30 January; capture of Garhakota, 11 February; siege of Jhansi, battle of Betwa, 1 April; operations against Kalpi, battles of Kunch, 7 May, and Golavli, 22 May; capture of Kalpi, 22 May; action at Morar, 16 June; capture of Gwalior, 20 June; pursuit of garrison and battle of Jaora Alipore, 28 June.

It was after the battle of Morar on 16 June 1858, that Brigadier-General R. Napier, then commanding the Second Brigade, wrote in his despatch: ‘I beg particularly to commend to the Major-General [Rose] my Acting Brigade Major Lieutenant Machlachlan, Adjutant of Bombay Artillery, whose services were placed at my disposal. His activity, zeal and intelligence have assured me that he is a most valuable officer.’ (
London Gazette 18 April 1859).

Machlachlan was promoted to 2nd Captain on 27 August 1858, and awarded a Brevet Majority on the following day. He received the Indian Mutiny medal with Central India clasp named to him in the 1st Troop, Horse Artillery, although there is no record of him having served in that Troop. It is possible that as he was on the staff of the brigade to which the troop was attached, he was temporarily borne on the books of the 1st Troop, Horse Artillery.

After the dispersal of the Central India F.F. it is possible that Machlachlan served briefly with 4th Troop, Horse Artillery, but on 13 May 1859, he was appointed Adjutant, Horse Brigade, Bombay Artillery and later 4th Brigade R.H.A., a position he held until 18 February 1863, on which day he was promoted to 1st Captain. At some time subsequent to this he commanded 3rd Troop, Horse Artillery.

On 14 June 1869, he was made a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel and on 1 August he received substantive promotion to to that rank. On 1 October 1877, he received the Brevet of Colonel and on the following 7 November he was appointed Assistant Adjutant General, R.A., Bombay, which position he held until 18 January 1879. He had retired on 31 December 1878 with the Honorary rank of Major-General. Machlachlan retired to England and died at Ramsgate on 8 February 1881, his obituary appearing in
The Times of 15 February 1881. Sold with three copied portrait photographs from the collection of the R.A. Institute, Woolwich.