Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The extremely rare 14-clasp M.G.S. and ‘Ciudad Rodrigo’ Forlorn Hope Medal pair awarded to Private James Morris, 52nd Foot, who was slightly wounded in the left arm at Almeida, 24 July 1810, slightly in the left thigh at Badajoz, 6 April 1812, and severely in the left thigh at Ciudad Rodrigo, 19 January 1812; he was also a Volunteer at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz and St Sebastian, and was afterwards present at the battle of Waterloo

Military General Service 1793-1814, 14 clasps, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Fuentes D’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, St. Sebastian, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (James Morris, 52nd Foot.); 52nd Foot Forlorn Hope Medal, silver, on the obverse Light Infantry bugle and LII surrounded by a laurel wreath ‘19th Jany. 1812’ above, reverse, embossed ‘A Volunteer in the Leading Column of Attack at the Assault of Ciudad Rodrigo. The Officers 52nd Regiment to James Morris 52nd Regiment’, engraved details shown in italics, fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, original ribbons, the first with soldered repair to suspension which no longer swivels, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and very rare (2) £10,000-£15,000

Provenance: Recorded in the notes of E. E. Needes, ‘Photograph shown me by Mr Hyman May 1909 with Regimental Medal’.

Only 12 M.G.S. medals issued with 14 clasps, including two to the 52nd Foot. Morris also received the Waterloo medal and a second Regimental ‘Forlorn Hope’ medal for the assault of St Sebastian, 31 December 1813.

The 52nd Foot ‘Forlorn Hope’ medal was instituted by a Regimental Order dated Lichfield 19 January 1820, and was awarded for Ciudad Rodrigo 1812, Badajoz 1812, and St Sebastian 1813. From an earlier date, those who survived the forlorn hope of Rodrigo and Badajoz were distinguished with a laurel badge on the right arm, with ‘VS’ (for Valiant Stormer) placed beneath the wreath. The medals are of the highest rarity with fewer than 10 known to have survived, three of these being in the Royal Green Jackets Museum.

James Morris was born in the Parish of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and enlisted for ‘Unlimited Service’ into the 52nd Foot at Colchester, Essex, on 21 April 1805, aged 20, a butcher by trade. He served for a total of 22 years 248 days, including two additional years for Waterloo, and was discharged at Fredericton, New Brunswick, in consequence of ‘being worn out and unfit for duty’. Having returned to England, he received his final discharge at Horse Guards on 24 December 1825. His discharge papers record that he had been a ‘Good soldier and that he was slightly wounded left arm at Almeida 24th July 1810, slightly left thigh at Badajoz 6th April 1812, and severely left thigh at Ciudad Rodrigo 19th January 1812, he was also a Volunteer at the assaults of Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz and St Sebastian’. He was admitted to an out-pension at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on 1 February 1826, and died on 3 June 1852.

Sold with copied discharge papers.