Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 2 clasps, Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow (Corpl. W. Beetles, 78th Highlanders) left-hand side of suspension carriage slightly bent, contact marks and edge bruising, good fine £500-600

William Beetles was born at Ellington, Huntingdon and originally enlisted in the 17th Regiment at Leicester in April 1840, aged 18 years. Transferring to the 75th Regiment in February 1847, he was advanced to Corporal in the same month and to Sergeant in December 1851. Reduced to the rank of Private shortly thereafter, following a period in confinement, he had regained his Corporal’s stripes by the time he witnessed active service in the Persia operations of 1857 (Medal and clasp) and in the Indian Mutiny (Medal and 2 clasps), in which latter conflict he was ‘wounded on 25 September 1857, on entering Lucknow - by a musket shot through the left shoulder’. Advanced to the rank of Hospital Sergeant in August 1858, Beetles transferred to the Army Hospital Corps in the following year and was eventually discharged as a Colour-Sergeant in August 1863, aged 41 years. Still carrying the ‘mark of a musket shot on his right shoulder’, his intended place of residence was Perth.