Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Indian Mutiny ‘Clause 13’ Victoria Cross awarded to Gunner James Park, 1st Troop, 1st Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery, for gallantry during the Relief of Lucknow in November 1857, following which his fellow gunners elected him for the award of the Victoria Cross - Somewhat unusually for the period, a time when posthumous awards could not be granted, Gunner Park never received his V.C., having died at Lucknow in June 1858, six months prior to his award being announced in the London Gazette

Victoria Cross, reverse of the suspension bar inscribed ‘Gunner J. Park, Benl. Artily.’, reverse centre of the cross dated ‘14 to 22 Novr. 1857’, fitted with bronze top ribbon buckle brooch, some contact wear, otherwise retaining most of its original finish, good very fine £60000-80000

Provenance: Glendining’s 6 July 1955 and Sotheby’s 3 October 1983.

V.C. London Gazette 24 December 1858 along with four other members of the Bengal Artillery ‘elected respectively, under the 13th clause of the Royal Warrant of the 29th January 1856, by the officers and non-commissioned officers generally, and by the private soldiers of each troop or battery, for conspicuous gallantry at the relief of Lucknow, from 14th to the 22nd November 1857’

James Park was born in Barony, Glasgow in January 1835. Having previously been employed as a labourer, he enlisted into the H.E.I.C. Artillery on 6 February 1855, attesting at Glasgow for twelve years continuous service and embarking for India aboard the Marchioness of Londonderry on 10 July, arriving in Calcutta the following October, where he was posted to 1st Troop, 1st Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery. He served during the Indian Mutiny (entitled medal and 3 clasps) with the Bengal Horse Artillery, being elected by his comrades to receive the award of the Victoria Cross for his gallantry during the Relief of Lucknow between 14 and 22 November 1857, the youngest of the Bengal gunners so honoured. Whilst Park would no doubt have been aware that he had been awarded the V.C., he sadly died of cholera in Lucknow on 14 June 1858, six months prior to the official announcement of the award and before his V.C. could be presented to him.

Victoria Cross Royal Warrant - Clause 13 Awards

When drawing up the original warrant for the Victoria Cross there was understandable concern with singling out one or two individuals for special recognition for acts of bravery as this had the potential to cause resentment amongst their comrades, as was recognised by Lord Panmure and Queen Victoria herself: ‘The Queen feels that the selection will be dreadfully difficult, and possibly may give more heart-burnings than satisfaction.’ This probably explains why so many medals were given to those men that had saved the lives of others, rather than trying to compare the daring or danger of one particular act over another, which was almost certainly going to lead to all manner of claims and disputes. On the other hand, few would complain at the Victoria Cross being given to those who had risked their lives saving some of their own comrades and this is especially true in circumstances where the advice of Prince Albert’s memorandum of 22 January 1855 was followed. He suggested that ‘their distribution should be left to a jury of the same rank as the person to be rewarded. By this means alone can you ensure the perfect fairness of distribution and save the officers in command from the invidious task of making a selection from those under their orders’.

The announcement of the creation of the Victoria Cross appeared in the London Gazette of 5 February 1856, with Prince Albert’s suggestion being incorporated into Clause 13 as follows:

‘Thirteenthly: It is ordained that, in the event of a gallant or daring act having been performed by a squadron, ship’s company, a detached body of seamen and marines, not under fifty in number, or by a brigade, regiment, troop or company, in which the Admiral, General, or other commanding such forces, may deem that all are equally brave and distinguished and that no special selection can be made by them: then in such case, the Admiral, General, or other officer commanding, may direct, that for any such body of seamen or marines, or for every troop or company of soldiers, one officer shall be selected by the officers engaged for the Decoration; and in like manner one petty officer or non commissioned officer shall be selected by the petty officers and non commissioned officers engaged; and two seamen or private soldiers, or marines shall be selected by the seaman, or private soldiers or marines, engaged respectively, for the Decoration; and the names of those selected shall be transmitted by the senior officer in command of the naval force, brigade, regiment, troop, or company, to the Admiral or General Officer Commanding, who shall in due manner confer the Decoration as if the acts were done under his own eye.’

A total of 29 Victoria Crosses were awarded under Clause 13 during the Indian Mutiny 1857-58, of which 16 are known to reside in museums, with one other recorded as having been lost by the recipient.

The Victoria Crosses awarded under Clause 13 during the Indian Mutiny break down as follows:

8th Hussars (4), known to be in a museum (1).
53rd Foot (4), known to be in museums (3).
60th Foot (5), known to be in museums (4).
84th Foot (2), known to be in a museum (1).
90th Foot (3), known to be in museums (3).
93rd Foot (5), known to be in museums (2) and one other believed lost by the recipient.
Bengal Artillery (5), known to be in museums (2).
1st Madras Fusiliers (1), single V.C. sold by Morton & Eden, June 2016 (£88,000 hammer).

The Victoria Cross was not awarded again under Clause 13 until the Boer War when four were given to members of Q Battery for the action at Sanna’s Post, all of which are known to be in museums. The remaining thirteen balloted awards were all given for gallantry during the Great War, twelve of which are known to be in museums.