Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Waterloo 1815 (Serj. William Hitchcock, 1st Batt. 40th Reg. Foot) fitted with silver clip and bar suspension, this inscribed ‘Peni[n]sula’, and silver ribbon buckle, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £1200-1400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late John Darwent.

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William Hitchcock was born at Taunton, Somerset, circa 1779, and enlisted into the Somerset Militia before transferring to the 40th Foot in January 1799. He served in the expedition to South America in 1806-07 and is present in the musters taken at Monte Video for the period of the assault of that place. He appears to be present in all musters for the period that the regiment was on service in Portugal, Spain, and France, and must have taken part in most of the battles in which the regiment was engaged. He was present at the battle of Waterloo, where he served in Captain Morrow’s Company. Sergeant Hitchcock was discharged due to a reduction in the regiment and a wound of the left wrist. He was admitted to Chelsea Hospital on 18 March 1818, as an out-pensioner, aged 39 years, and died in London on 3 February 1847.