Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Indian Mutiny ‘50th Anniversary’ C.B. group of five awarded to Major-General H. T. Arbuthnot, Royal Horse Artillery

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, converted for neck wear; Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Lieut. H. T. Arbuthnot Rl. Artillery) contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Lucknow (Lieut. H, T, Arbuthnot, F Tp. R.H.A.); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue; France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, Knight’s breast badge, silver and enamels with gold and enamel centres, the first and last with some very minor enamel chips, otherwise very fine or better (5) £1,200-£1,600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Simon C. Marriage Collection of Medals to the Artillery.

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Henry Thomas Arbuthnot was born on 16 October 1834, son of George Arbuthnot, Assistant Secretary to H.M.’s Treasury. He was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and joined the Royal Regiment of Artillery as 2nd Lieutenant on 22 June 1853. Promoted to 1st Lieutenant on 16 May 1854, he served in the Crimea 1854-55, including the affair at McKenzie’s Farm, the Battles of Alma, Inkermann, and the siege and capture of Sebastopol, and the repulse of the sortie on the 26th of October 1854 (Medal and three clasps, Knight of the Legion of Honour and Turkish Medal).

He served in the Indian Mutiny 1857-59, including the action of Secundra, the attack on the fort near Munshigunj, the siege and capture of Lucknow, and the capture of the forts at Regore and Koorlee (Mentioned in despatches, Brevet of Major, medal with clasp for Lucknow).

‘At Munshigunj, in March, 1858, a small force supported by two guns of "F" commanded by Lieut. Arbuthnot, attacked the fort there. Arbuthnot came into action at 400 yards, and seeing the enemy fire was slackening, limbered up again and galloped up the actual lip of the glacis where he dropped his trails again and swept the ramparts clear of the enemy, with case, himself the while, exchanging carbine-shots with an enemy chieftain, whom he hit. Once inside the fort, Sergt. Wilkins and Gunners Critchell and Dummet, made a bold attempt, under heavy fire, to blow open the gate of the keep. Arbuthnot (later a Major-General) was one of those maddening subalterns, who sometimes arrived in India knowing better than the old hands - or “koi hais” - an equally maddening race! He was in charge of "F” Battery officers mess, which was carried on pack camels on his orders, instead of the usual elephants, because elephants (he considered) were too slow to keep up with a troop of horse artillery. When the column had to cross the Gumti river, he was assured that camels could not swim, and because of Arbuthnot’s obstinacy the mess was given up as lost, as a hot pursuit was under way and what was once left behind would not be seen again for many days. Arbuthnot, however, paraded his “B” echelon - of camels - tied in single file, each camel’s nose to the tail of the one in front and the leader’s nose to an elephant’s tail, which of course swims very well, and the elephant towed the camels across the river, to the relief of his hungry and thirsty brother officers.’ (The Royal Horse Artillery by S. Bidwell refers).

Arbuthnot was promoted to Captain on 1 April 1860 and his majority confirmed a year later. He was Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield and Birmingham, 1862-72, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1872. He was Captain of the Company of Gentlemen Cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from 1875 to 1879, and was Superintendent of the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield and Birmingham, from 1880 until his retirement in 1887 with the rank of Major-General. Awarded the C.B. on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Indian Mutiny in 1907, he was appointed Chairman of the Aerial League of the British Empire in 1912, and was a Justice of the Peace for Sutton Coldfield. Major-General Arbuthnot died on 3 May 1919.