Beschreibung:

The Rare Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to Gunner Samuel Barnes, Royal Marine Artillery, HMS Shannon, part of Captain W Peel’s ‘Shannon Brigade’, which famously brought a detachment of sailors and heavy guns ashore from his vessel to advance inland to Cawnpore and onwards to the assistance of the beleaguered garrison at Lucknow, one of only 7 such medals known to have been issued to the Royal Marine Artillery, comprising: Indian Mutiny Medal, single clasp, Lucknow (Gunr Saml Barnes, R.M.A. Shannon.); officially impressed. Lightly toned, surface marks and hairlines both sides, otherwise a pleasing very fine. Upon hearing news of the mutiny in India, the British frigate HMS Shannon (51) and corvette HMS Pearl were sent from Hong Kong to Calcutta, arriving on the 6th of August 1857 and helping to secure Fort William. Formed under the initiative of HMS Shannon’s Captain William Peel (VC), the ‘Shannon Brigade’ as it came to be known, was offered to the Governor General, Lord Canning, to head into mainland India to assist wherever necessary, given the situation of open rebellion in the North West Provinces, Rohilcund and Oudh, with the possibility of revolt in the Punjab, a siege underway in Delhi, and the Lucknow Residency considered to be under imminent attack. Thankfully the ship’s company of the Shannon were ready and well trained gunners, having been brought up to full efficiency under the training of Lt R A F Studdert, Royal Marine Artillery and his RMA gunners. In total, 516 officers and men came ashore, of whom 140 (including 2 officers) belonged to the Royal Marine Light Infantry, with some 20 from the Royal Marine Artillery. This last contingent were formed of 1 Sergeant (John Wade) 1 Corporal (E. Bayley) and only 18 Gunners. The Shannon Brigade brought with them six 68-pounders, eight 24-pounders, two brass ship’s guns, and eight rocket-tubes, all brought by steamers up the Ganges to Allahabad to assist the garrison there, arriving on the 2nd of September. Setting off in two detachments, the second of which included the members Royal Marine Artillery, and alongside a flying column of troops from the 28th and 53rd Foot under Lt Colonel Powell of the 53rd Foot, the force then moved towards Cawnpore, with Peel’s ‘Shannon Brigade’ getting its first taste of action en route against some 4,000 enemy sepoys first at Kudja. Of the Naval Brigade, two officers, including Lt Stirling, R.M., were wounded, and two men were killed. Despite their fatigue they arrived at Cawnpore on the 3rd of November. From here, two detachments assisted both in the holding and defence of Cawnpore, and also in the relief of the besieged forces in the Lucknow Residency. The Bombay Times recorded that ‘the Naval Brigade dragged their 24-pounders along with them as if they were toys’ as they approached, and these heavy naval guns were of key importance in the attacks upon the Martiniere, Secunderbagh, Shah Nujeef and Kaisarbagh, helping to breach the outer walls and disperse the considerable attacking sepoys. Lieutenant Norwell Salmon and Boatswain’s Mate John Harrison of the Shannon Brigade were both awarded the VC for conspicuous gallantry. As Sir Colin Campbell wwote in his despatch of the 18th of November, after the relief of the Residency, he mentioned the action of Captain Peel and his force ‘leading up his heavy guns with extraordinary gallantry to batter the stone walls…an action almost unexampled in war…Captain Peel…behaved very much as if he had been laying the Shannon alongside an enemy’s frigate’. Seven men of the Royal Marine Artillery were entitled to the Indian Mutiny Medal with Lucknow clasp, however 4 of these medals were returned to the India Office, with one duplicate also issued. As such only 3 medals of this type are believed to be officially extant. Recipient worthy of further research.