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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 112

(x) The Military General Service Medal awarded to Sergeant T. Harris, 5th Regiment of Foot, who was slightly wounded in the Battle of Bergen 1799

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Vimiera, Corunna, Salamanca, Vittoria, Orthes, Toulouse (T. Harris, 5th Foot.), minor pitting, very fine

Provenance:
Whitaker Collection 1890.

One of 33 Medals with 6 clasps to the Regiment, 2 of this combination.

Thomas Harris was a native of Gloucester, Gloucestershire and attested for service on 20 May 1799. Entering the Napoleonic War in Holland his service papers note 'Wounded slightly on the breast in Holland 19 September 1799'. This was the date of the Battle of Bergen where an Anglo-Russian army was defeated by a Franco-Batavian force.

Here the Regiment, both the 1st and 2nd Battalions, were part of the centre-right column under General Dundas. Their role was to take and hold the village of Warmenhuizen, which they did alongside three Russian Regiments, holding it for the duration of the Battle. They suffered 345 other ranks and 22 Sergeants wounded in action, given how recently Harris had attested it is very likely he was a Private at the time.

He went on to serve with the Regiment through much of the Peninsula Campaign, earning himself a 6-clasp medal. He was discharged on 11 September 1821, his conduct described as 'very good'. Harris is further entitled to a silver medal of merit; sold together with copied service papers.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£1,400 to £1,800

Starting price
£1100