Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Peninsula War medal awarded to Captain George Johnstone, 43rd Foot, who was wounded in the arm at the passage of the Coa in 1810, and in the groin whilst in the trenches before Badajoz in 1812; he also served in the expeditions to Copenhagen in 1807 and to North America in 1814 where he was present at New Orleans

Military General Service 1793-1814, 5 clasps, Busaco, Fuentes D’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca (G. Johnstone, Capt. 43rd Foot.) contained in its original named card box of issue, dark toned, extremely fine £4000-5000

George Johnstone (sometimes Johnston) was born in January 1784 at Chirnside, Berwickshire. He was appointed Ensign in the 43rd Foot, 23 October 1804; Lieutenant, 29 May 1805; Captain, 16 August 1810. He served with the 1st 43rd in the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807, and in Sir John Moore’s campaign in the Peninsula, October 1808 to January 1809. Returning to the Peninsula in July 1809, he was present at Vigo and the passage of the Coa, 24 July 1810, on which occasion he was wounded in the left arm. He was present at the battle of Busaco, 27 September 1810, and in the various skirmishes in Massena’s retreat from the lines of Torres Vedras, including Pombal, Redinha, Casal Nova, Foz d’Aronce, and Sabugal; at the battle of Fuentes d’Onor, 5 May 1811, Ciudad Rodrigo, January 1812, Badajoz, 6 April 1812, and Salamanca, 22 July 1812. Whilst serving in the trenches during the siege of Badajoz he was wounded in the groin on 21 March 1812. He went home at the end of the year 1812 but returned to serve in the Peninsula again from 14 March to 8 July 1814. He then proceeded with his regiment to North America where he served from October 1814 to April 1815, and was present in the attack on New Orleans. Arriving in France on the very day of the battle of Waterloo, he served with the Army of Occupation until November 1818; and afterwards at Gibraltar, September 1822 to January 1826, in Portugal, February to March 1828, and then at Gibraltar again until 31 December 1829. Captain Johnstone retired on 23 December 1831, and died at Edinburgh on 2 January 1863, aged 84, where he was buried in a tomb in Warriston Cemetery.