Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Ghuznee 1839 (Capt. L. C. Bourchier, 17th Regt.), naming impressed in block capitals on reverse, with replacement silver post, gold ring and straight bar suspension, sometime lacquered, slight edge bruising, very fine £800-900

Le Gendre Charles Bourchier was born in 1815 and obtained a commission as Ensign in the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment by purchase on 5 April 1833 and purchased the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain in the same regiment in May 1836 and July 1838 repectively. With the 17th Regiment he served in the campaign in Afghanistan and Beluchistan under Lord Keane and was present at the storm and capture of Ghuznee, 21 July 1839 and the storm and capture of Khelat, 13 November 1839. In the latter action, whilst clearing the streets of the town of the enemy, Bourchier was wounded, receiving a severe and a slight wound to the right arm. The loss to the regiment in storming the town was six privates killed and one officer (Bourchier), three sergeants and 29 soldiers wounded. Remaining with the regiment, Bourchier received the rank of Brevet-Major in November 1851, being promoted Major in the following month. In the 1853 Army List he is shown as a Major with the 69th Regiment and in the 1855 edition, as a Major in the 75th. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 75th on 9 August 1858 and attained the rank of Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in the 89th Regiment) on 12 November 1862. Colonel Bourchier died in 1866. (For his grandson’s medals, see lot 1021).