Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Portugal, Kingdom, Peninsula War Officer’s Cross for 4 Campaigns, silver-gilt, 35mm x 26mm excluding suspension, of local manufacture, inscribed on the edges of the cross ‘Lt. Colonel Sir I. S. Lilley 7th Cacadores’, test mark to edge of lower limb, otherwise good very fine £300-£400

Provenance: Ex Lot 297, Dix Noonan Webb, 18 June 1997, ‘The impressive Peninsula War group of Decorations awarded to Major Sir John Scott Lillie, C.B.’ This group included a second, larger Officer’s Cross for 4 Campaigns in gold and enamels and is now in the Collection of the National Army Museum.

Sir John Scott Lillie entered the service as an Ensign in the 6th Foot, 3 March 1807; Lieutenant, 29 March 1810; Captain, 60th (Royal American) Regiment, 11 November 1813; Major, 21 June 1817; Lieutenant Colonel, 10 January 1837. He served in the 6th Regiment with the first expedition to Portugal in 1808 and was present at the battles of Roleia and Vimiera, and capture of Lisbon. In 1809, as Captain in the Lusitanian Legion, he was present in various engagements for the defence of Portugal during the important interval between the embarkation at Corunna and the return of the second expedition to Lisbon. He was subsequently present during the campaign of 1810, at the battle of Busaco, and retreat to the Lines at Torres Vedras. In 1811, at the actions of Pombal and Redinha, capture of Campo Mayor, and siege of Olivença. In 1812, at the siege of Badajoz, battle of Salamanca, capture of Madrid, and retreat from Burgos. In 1813, at the actions at Ardea de Ponte, Osma, and Bridge of Subijana de Morellas (wounded), battle of Vittoria, blockade of Pampeluna, actions in the Pyrenees on the 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, and 30th July, actions of Irun and St Martial, capture of San Sebastian, passage of the Bidassoa, battles of the Nivelle (wounded), the Nive, Orthes and Toulouse. At this last battle he was severely wounded and left for forty-eight hours on the field of battle, supposed to have been killed. Sir John received the Gold Cross for the battles of the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, and Toulouse; and the Silver War Medal with seven clasps for the others. In 1831 he was selected by the Regent of Portugal to organise and command an expedition to that country with the rank of Major General to support the claims of Queen Donna Maria. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Scott Lillie died in 1868.

The Loyal Lusitanian Legion was an Auxiliary Corps raised in Portugal, under the command of Brigadier General Sir Robert Wilson, for the defence of that country. The reorganisation of the Portuguese army was entrusted to General Beresford who, by handpicking the best men, formed a small serviceable army, distributed with a number of British officers. He further perceived the fitness of the Portuguese for light troops, and by a process of selection formed the famous Caçadores, who proved themselves worthy to be brigaded with the light division. Major Lillie (local Lieutenant-Colonel) commanded the 7th Caçadores at the four actions represented on his Army Gold Cross and was one of only a small handful of officers to receive the Gold Cross in the rank of Major.