Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to coincide with the OMRS Convention

Three: Lieutenant-General G. W. T. Rich, C.B., 71st Highland Light Infantry, who commanded the regiment during the greater part of the Central India campaign

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Captain, 71st Highd. Light Infy.) contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Major, 71st Highd. L.I.); Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue, unnamed, light contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine or better (3) £1200-1500

George Whitworth Talbot Rich was appointed Ensign in the 71st Highland Light Infantry on 12 June 1840, becoming Lieutenant in April 1842, Captain in November 1847, and Major in June 1856. He landed in the Crimea in 1855, served in the trenches at the siege of Sebastopol, and was present at its fall (Medal and clasp, Brevet of Major, and Turkish medal). He served during the campaign of 1858 in Central India under Sir Hugh Rose, including the action at Koonch, and commanded the 71st Light Infantry at the actions of Muttra and Despora (mentioned in despatches), general action of Gowlowlee, capture of Calpee, action of Morar (mentioned in despatches), and capture of Gwalior Medal and clasp, and Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel).

It was in the action at Morar that Private George Rogers won the regiment’s very first Victoria Cross. Major Rich, himself, had a very narrow escape in the same action for, ‘being mounted, and a prominent object on the edge of the nullah, a rebel deliberately rushed up at him with an immense carbine or blunderbuss of some kind, and filled, as it was afterwards found, with rough lumps of iron of sorts, but fortunately the weapon missed fire. The Major, with the greatest sang froid, shot the fellow through the head and asked the lad standing near him to pick up and hand him the formidable weapon, which is still perhaps kept in the Rich family as a souvenir of the Morar fight.’

Rich subsequently commanded a field force of all arms in the jungles of Central India, from November 1858 to May 1859, in pursuit of Tantia Topee, the Rao Sahib, Ferozeshah, and other rebel leaders, and on the 5th April surprised and totally routed the rebels at Nainwas. For these services he was thanked by the Governor General in Council.

Promoted to Colonel in November 1863, Rich was Deputy Quarter-Master General at Malta from 1867 to 1872. He retired in 1881 with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-General.