Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Colonel H. Eyre, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, an officer in Ross’s Camel Corps during the Indian Mutiny

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol, unnamed as issued; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Lucknow, Central India (Lieut., 2nd Bn. Rifle Bde.); Volunteer Decoration, V.R., hallmarks for London 1892, complete with brooch bar; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue, unnamed, pierced with ring suspension, first, second and fourth with matching ornate slip-bars, good very fine and better (4) £700-800

Henry Eyre was born on 4 February 1834, the eldest son of the Reverend G. W. Eyre of Rampton Manor, Nottingham. After two years service with the Notts Yeomanry, 1852-54, he was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade on 1 February 1855 and promoted Lieutenant on 1 June 1855. In the same year he joined the 2nd Battalion in the Crimea and was present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol where, at the assault of the Redan on 8 September 1855, he was slightly wounded. He served with the Rifle Brigade throughout the Indian Mutiny 1857-58 and was present at the capture of Lucknow, capture of Mynponee and operations on the Ram Gunga River. He also took part in the actions of Gowlowlee and the capture of Calpe while with the Camel Corps. The Camel Corps was formed at Lucknow under command of Major John Ross and was composed of four officers and 100 riflemen of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions Rifle Brigade. Lieutenant eyre was one of the four carefully selected for this important independent command. He retired from the Regular Army on 19 November 1858 and returned to the Militia, commanding the 4th Notts R.V. from 1865 until 1892. Outside of the military field, Eyre was M.P. for Gainsborough Division, Lincolnshire from 1886 to 1892 and contested seats at Newark in1874, Bassetlaw in 1880 and Mansfield in 1895 and 1900. He was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1897 and for his work as chairman of the War Office Committee for the organisation of the Medical Department of the Auxiliary Forces, was made a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John. Eyre died in Lincoln on 24 June 1904. Sold with copied research.