Auction Catalogue

17 September 2004

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 712

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17 September 2004

Hammer Price:
£720

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Lieutt. W. Battye, 65th Bengal N.I.) contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £600-700

Wynard Battye, son of George Wynard Battye, Bengal Civil Service, was one of ten brothers who embraced the military life, and of whom famously four fell in action. Quentin, the second eldest, was second-in-command of the Guides on their epic 580-mile march from Mardan to Delhi in 1857 and was killed the Ridge on the afternoon of their arrival. Shot through the abdomen, he died uttering the words, “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.” Wigram, the third youngest son was killed charging at the head of the Guides Cavalry at Fattehabad in 1879. Legh, the second youngest, was killed on the Black Mountain Expedition in 1888, and Frederick, the youngest, was killed in the Chitral Expedition in 1895.

Wynard Battye was appointed Ensign in the 65th Bengal Native Infantry on 4 April 1854, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 23 November 1856. He served against the rebels in the Azimghur District during the Mutiny, and received the thanks of Government whilst serving with the Goorkah Force, for aiding Mr Venables in the capture and death of a noted rebel at Azimghur. He served in China in 1858 and went on Furlough from January 1859.