Beschreibung:

The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals The Cabul 1842 campaign medal to Brevet Major Charles Shaw 31st Foot, a veteran of Albuhera in 1811, and a survivor of the burning of the East Indiaman Kent in 1825, who died on campaign in Afghanistan in July 1842 Cabul 1842, unnamed as issued, fitted with original steel clip and bar suspension, extremely fine, together with eight original parchment commission documents relating to himself, his two brothers and his father, all of whom were officers in the regiment, a fine silhouette portrait, various letters, etc., including one from Colonel Fearon, and an original photograph of the memorial tablet erected by the non commissioned officers and men of the regiment, a fascinating collection of ephemera for the 31st Regiment £800-1000 Footnote Charles Shaw the son of Captain William Shaw was born on 1 May 1794, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, and followed his father into the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, as Ensign, on 13 May 1811. According to his record of service, he was present at the battle of Albuhera ‘doing Duty with 31st Foot under Lord Beresford.’ He subsequently took part in the attacks and surrender of Genoa in April 1814, and at the surrender of Corsica later that year. He was appointed Lieutenant and Adjutant on 13 April 1820, which position he still held when he embarked with the right wing of his regiment aboard the East Indiaman Kent, bound for India in February 1825. On 1 March 1825, in heavy seas in the Bay of Biscay, an oil lamp was accidently dropped into the hold, setting fire to some spirits leaking from a cask. The fire took hold and spread rapidly. With hopes of saving the vessel swiftly vanishing, the officers and men of the regiment preserved the utmost order in the face of almost certain death. Providentially, the brig Cambria (Captain Cook) of 200 tons appeared on the scene. In his report of 4 March 1825, Cook writes, ‘... we discovered a large sail to the westward, and on approaching found her to have a signal of distress flying, which induced me immediately to render every assistance in my power, and on nearing, found her to be on fire. About 3 p.m. being then on her bow, we succeeded in getting the first boat from the vessel ... with troops and passengers amounting to 637 souls. From 3 to 8 p.m. the boats were constantly employed in bringing the people to the Cambria and succeeded in saving 296 officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of the 31st Regiment, 46 women and 52 children appertaining to ditto, 19 male and female private passengers and Captain Cobb and 139 of the crew, amounting in all to 553. The flames now becoming exceedingly fierce, I could not urge the sailors again to return to the ship, nor deem it at all prudent for the preservation of lives already on board my vessel to remain longer near the Kent, expecting her instantly to blow up. By accounts since made it is supposed that 68 soldiers, 1 woman, 21 children and 4 of the crew were left when Captain Cobb quitted the vessel, whose conduct during the trying occasion is beyond my humble praise, displaying the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and by his exertions, and those of Colonel Fearon, the commander of the troops, who were last to quit, the women, children and passengers were got into the boats; and they did not leave themselves until their influence to induce any more to go into them was useless. At 2 a.m. the Kent blew up after being completely enveloped in flames for four hours previously.... I feel the greatest gratification in stating that the gentlemen and their Cornish miners, in all 36, with my crew, 11 more, behaved throughout the trying period with the greatest kindness in getting the people from the boats, soothing their sufferings, giving up their own clothes and beds to the women and children, volunteering to go into the boats ... and leaving nothing undone to make them as comfortable as the limited size of my brig would allow