Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Commander’s Chapel Stall Plate, gilded brass with engraved and painted badge of a companion, inscribed ‘James Carmichael Smyth Esquire, Lieutenant Colonel in the Corps of Royal Engineers, Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath. Nominated 22nd June 1815’, 190x115mm, with remains of original outer paper wrapper inscribed ‘Col. J. C. Smyth C.B.‘, extremely fine £300-400

James Carmichael Smyth served in the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1805/06, where selected the place of landing at Blaauwberg but was absent from the actual battle, being away on other duties. He was 2nd in command of the engineers during the Corunna campaign 1808-09, and C.R.E. in the expedition to Holland 1813-14, where he was present at the action of Merxem and assault of Bergen-op-Zoom. In 1815, he joined the British Army at Brussels as C.R.E., and was on Wellington’s staff at the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo. It was Smyth’s plan of the ground at Waterloo that enabled Wellington to place his troops so rapidly and advantageously on the 18th. Smyth was originally nominated for a K.C.B. for his services at Waterloo but, not being in possession of a Peninsula Gold Cross, did not qualify. Additionally he was created a Knight of the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa and awarded the 4th Class of the Russian Order of St Vladimir. He was made a K.C.H. in 1829 and appointed Governor and C-in-C of the Bahama Islands. In 1833 he was removed to the more important government of British Guiana, where he died at Georgetown, Demerara, on 4 March 1838.