Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The interesting Indian Mutiny medal awarded to Assistant-Surgeon Peter O'Brien, who served a total of 45 years in the Bengal Medical Establishment, rising from Hospital Apprentice to full Surgeon; he was present in the 1st Burma war of 1824-25 with the Subordinate Medical Department, with whom he served for 32 years; he served a further 13 years in the Indian Medical Service. He was the oldest Assistant Surgeon in the Indian Mutiny and saved the lives of the Europeans at Lullutpore, where he was not only in medical charge of the District but was also the Joint Magistrate

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Asst. Surgn. P. O’Brien, Benl. Medical. Dept.) small edge bruise, otherwise good very fine £500-600

Peter Joseph O'Brien was born in Galway, Ireland, on 19 September 1806, and would have arrived in India as the young son of a serving H.M. Regimental N.C.O. or soldier. His first mention in the record can be found in the Delhi archives which hold the documents of the Subordinate Medical Department (S.M.D.) covering the period from 1818 until 1858. It shows that Peter O'Brien was placed to do duty with the newly arrived H.M. 38th Regiment as an Assistant Apothecary, 24 May 1822, being promoted from Apprentice. On 21 January 1824, O'Brien was arrested at Berhampore, for striking the servant of Surgeon Martin Cathcart who had demanded O'Brien's duty hospital bed for the night. Due to the severity of the charge, which fell under the Articles of War, the authorities asked for advice from Calcutta as to what punishment should be levied. Investigation discovered that Cathcart had received Batta for food and accommodation and was therefore admonished with O'Brien being acquitted of all charges. Reading through the S.M.D. records at Delhi you are left in no doubt that these boys or ‘lads’ , as they were called, were treated with great devotion by the authorities in Calcutta as many were barely into their teens.

On 25 January 1825, O'Brien was posted to do duty with the 38th Regiment at the Military Field Hospital at Rangoon during the 1st Burmese War. It was here that he came into direct contact with Surgeon James Ranald Martin, who was later to become the Senior Medical Officer of the East India Company. Martin took him under his wing and they became lifelong friends. Research done in 1847 on the Burma casualties shows that during the first year, from a force of 2,716 soldiers, only 96 died of wounds while 1,215 died of disease. For his services in Rangoon, O'Brien was awarded the Army of India medal with clasp Ava. In 1826 he returned to Calcutta on the ship Hero of Malown with returning troops and on arrival worked in the General Calcutta Hospital.

On 5 June 1827, he married Alice Harriet, daughter of William Linford, Corporal H.M. 14th Regiment. They had issue 4 children. In 1831 he was the Assistant Dispenser in Simla. He worked in other stations, including Meerut, before returning to Calcutta where he was first, Apothecary at the General Hospital and second, Head Apothecary of the Calcutta Native Hospital. It was in this capacity that he was mentioned in the medical papers of W. B. O’Shaughnessy M.D. on “The Preparations of Indian Hemp or Ganja and their effect on the Animal System in health and the Treatment of Tetanus and other Convulsive Diseases dated October 1839.” Using patients from the Native Hospital, O'Brien treated 8 with Indian Hemp with remarkable success. In one case O'Brien treated a Syce called Chunoo, who had been kicked by a horse and developed tetanus. Treatment of turpentine and castor oil in large doses proved ineffective so O'Brien issued him with two grain doses of Hemp resin. Chunoo consumed 134 grains of the resin and after a months treatment he left hospital ‘cured’. Further documentation shows that O'Brien experimented with Indian Hemp in cases of Dysentery and Cholera.

While in Calcutta he studied at the Calcutta Medical College and became a Doctor. In 1842 he was allowed to retire after 21 year service on a pension of 60 pounds per annum. Taking advice from his friend and mentor James R. Martin, he sailed for England on the Argaum to study at St Georges Medical School, from which Martin himself had qualified. He left his wife and children in Calcutta and qualified as a Surgeon in late 1842, receiving his M.R.C.S. diploma in 1843. He returned to Calcutta on the ship Bangalore where he was the Surgeon in medical charge of the troops aboard.

James R. Martin was hopeful that his protégé would be commissioned into the Bengal Army and wrote a recommendation to Lord Auckland. He knew that the class divide that existed in the officer ranks would be a barrier and so it proved. Auckland appointed him to do duty with the newly formed Gwalior Contingent, as an Uncovenanted Sub-Assistant-Surgeon, in March 1844, on a salary of RP 556 per month, an amount higher than other medical staff. He served for 9 years being in many minor affairs with both the infantry and cavalry units of the Contingent.

O'Brien's promotion to Commissioned Assistant-Surgeon, on 20 November 1853, was greeted with howls of disgust by many officers of the Indian Medical Service. The complaints of being too old, unqualified and not a ‘proper’ Surgeon appeared in the Lancet and other medical publications. In The History of the Indian Medical Service 1600-1913, Lt.-Colonel D. G. Crawford refers to O'Brien as being one of those ‘unqualified’ officers. O'Brien at the time was 47 years old but as for being unqualified Crawford points out that he was more qualified than most Assistant-Surgeons. His M.D. acquired as an Apothecary at Calcutta emphasised the fact. Among O'Brien's official papers is a small note from James Ranald Martin stating that “he assumes the Court of Directors will confirm this appointment as he and Mr Cotton had agreed to O'Brien's Commission.” Martin had at long last managed to get O'Brien the commission he so richly deserved.

At the outbreak of the Rebellion, O'Brien, now aged 51, was serving with the 6th Regiment Gwalior Contingent at Lullutpore. On top of his military and civil medical duties he was also Acting Joint-Magistrate of the District. A unique roll for a medical officer. Writing in 1860, O'Brien requested that his 9 years spent with the Gwalior Contingent as an Uncovenanted Surgeon should be allowed to count towards his pension. Among the papers are letters that cover the events at Lullitpore, extracts from which are listed below:

‘... you thus served uninterruptedly without being one day absent from regimental duties and that you discharged the duties of Surgeon to the Brigade Staff whilst with the regiment stationed at the Head Quarters, Gwalior. That in 1856 you were exchanged from the 4th to the 6th Regiment G.C stationed at Lullutpore where the Rebellion broke out and the latter Regiment mutinied in June 1857. Through your influence with the Rajah of Baupore you enabled to effect the rescue of all the Europeans at the station but subsequently you and the rest of the party were imprisoned from the 2nd July to 12th September by the Rajah of Shahghur in a Fort where you suffered many privations and your health gave way. Eventually the whole party was sent to Saugor where you did garrison duties until February 1858...’

‘… I am convinced that the preservation not only of your own life but of all the Europeans who accompanied you from Lullutpore was mainly owing to the love and respect the natives had for you and which gave you the influence you had over the Baupore Rajah and his followers during these perilous times. Colonel W. Maule Ramsey late Brigadier Commanding Gwalior Contingent.’

‘… The only information I obtained was from Dr. O'Brien who had resided for some years at Lullutpore where he acted as Joint-Magistrate and consequently was well acquainted with the District and people... Captain Sale and Dr. O'Brien had gone on a little ahead of the remainder of us as we proceeded towards the Saugor Road. At the end of the Bazaar we were surrounded and taken prisoners by a party of the Rajah's men who took us towards Mussoorah near which place we were met by Doolaree Lal with a paper guaranteeing us protection which had been procured by Doctor O'Brien... Captain A. C. Gordon. Deputy Commissioned of Nursingpore.’

His Services in Ubique are given thus: ‘Arrived Saugor, 14 September 1857. Engaged with the rebels at Tendkhera, 12 January 1858. In medical charge of detachment under the command of Captain Sale 9th Native Infantry. Served with the Central India Field Force commanded by Sir Huge Rose from 18 February to 29 May 1858 with the 3rd Bombay Europeans. Present at the battle of Muddenpore and the battle of Betwa, the siege, storming and capture of Jhansi. In medical charge of the left wing at the battle of Koonch, the storm and capture of Loharee and the various actions before Calpee and the capture of that place. Disabled by sunstroke at Calpee. Thanked in the despatch of Colonel Gall H.M.’s 14th Light Dragoons, commanding at the storm of Loharee. Medal and Clasp.’

Although disabled by exhaustion O'Brien still had time to write a report assembled by Sir Hugh Rose regarding the deaths of so many men of the 71st Highlanders due to Coup-de-Soleil. The report discusses clothing, diet, water, grog and character, noting the ages of the men who died were between 22 and 32 years of age. One is noted as a ‘free liver,’ one as a ‘tolerably free liver’ and the rest ‘sober’.

O’Brien appointed F.R.C.S. in 1859 and was advanced to Surgeon on 15 November 1864. He retired from the service on 6 July 1866.
In 1875 The Sir James Ranald Martin Prize was instituted. It was a memorial named in the honour of the man who advanced the science of tropical medicine and prompting sanitary reform in India and at home with the inestimable result of improving health and lowering the death-rate of soldiers in India. Among the committee was none other than Peter Joseph O'Brien., F.R.C.S. Honorary Secretary, his ever friend to the last.
Surgeon Peter Joseph O'Brien died at St. Helier, Jersey, on 24 March 1882. His wife Alice continued to live in a guest house in Jersey and died a few years later.

Sold with two very comprehensive files of research.