Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Sergeant R. Williamson, Royal Foot Artillery

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Corunna (R. Williamson, Serjt. R. Arty.); Waterloo 1815 (Serj. Rob. Williamson. Royal Foot Artillery.) with original steel clip and later large ring suspension, minor edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine and better (2) £2400-2800

Provenance: Glendining’s, May 1911.

Robert Williamson attested for the Royal Artillery on 9 May 1801, and served as a Sergeant in Captain Truscott’s Battery in the Peninsula, which formed part of the rearguard of General Sir John Moore’s force during the retreat to and subsequent battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809- for their gallantry the title of “Corunna” was granted as a result of the Battery’s efforts in this campaign.

Williamson subsequently served in Captain Sinclair’s Battery during the Waterloo campaign, 16-18 June 1815. First Lieutenant John Wilson, who served under Sinclair, described the activities of Sinclair’s battery at Waterloo thus:
‘At the commencement of the action Captain Sinclair’s Brigade was posted near a windmill in a field on the left of the Brussels road, and in rear of the village of Mont-St-Jean. When we were ordered into action we proceeded along the Nivelles road, took ground to the left, and formed on the right rear of La Haye Sainte between two and three hundred yards in front of the footpath... The smoke was so dense that I could not see distinctly the position of the French, being at that time ordered to direct my fire over the dead bodies of some horses in front.
About three o’clock, our ammunition being nearly exhausted, we were charged by the French Cuirassiers, who in their turn were driven back by the 1st Dragoons (Royals). We retired behind the Squares formed in our rear... The gun on the left without the limber having been surrounded by the enemy’s cavalry, remained in their possession. Having received a supply of ammunition, we returned to our former position and recovered the gun.
We were almost immediately ordered to the right, near Hougoumont. Whilst moving along the ground I could see the French advancing, apparently against the right, in heavy masses of close columns. We remained in our last position until twelve the next day. The ground on which we were posted was covered with the killed and wounded of the Imperial Guard. A wounded officer, who lay near me, told me he belonged to that body.’