Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Sergeant W. Charlesworth, Royal Artillery

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Gunr., V Fld. Baty. No. 1 Cpy. 6th Bn. R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., small letter reverse (2396 Serjt., Cst. Bde. R.A.); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed, the first with slack suspension claw, some contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise about very fine and rather better (4) £300-350

William Charlesworth was born in the parish of Weedon Beck, near Daventry, Northamptonshire and enlisted in the Royal Artillery as a Gunner and Driver in June 1854, aged 19 years. Subsequently employed in the operations before Sebastopol in the Crimea, with 12th Battalion, R.A., he was seconded for service in V Field Battery, No. 1 Company, 6th Battalion, R.A. during the Indian Mutiny.

V Field Battery, commanded by Captain and Brevet Major J. Singleton, was responsible for putting down a belated outbreak of mutiny at Mooltan in September 1858. The Battery had recently arrived from England, and was garrisoned there with the Bombay Fusiliers and the 4/3 Bengal Horse Artillery. On the 2nd of the month, however, the latter took up arms against the remainder of the garrison, as described by Colonel J. R. J. Jocelyn in The History of the Royal and Indian Artillery in the Indian Mutiny of 1857:

‘Without any ostensible cause, they all rose, and, arming themselves with long poles and sticks, having hatchets, hammers, etc., fastened on the ends, they made a sudden onslaught on the artillery quarter guard with the evident intention of possessing themselves of the guns. Singleton, who was on the spot, ordered two guns into action with case shot, and scattered one party of the rebels. Another body made a rush to the stables, but they were met and dispersed by the Bombay Fusiliers. Others approached the stables by another route, and succeeded in killing and wounding some unarmed drivers and syces, before they were driven off by 2nd Captain A. H. W. Williams, R.A., and a mixed detachment of gunners and infantry. A third party came under shrapnel fire from Singleton and were at once put to flight. Few of the mutineers escaped.’

On returning to the U.K., Charlesworth joined the Coast Brigade, R.A., was advanced to Corporal in January 1868 and to Sergeant in September of the following year. He was finally discharged at Orkney in July 1877, aged 42 years.