Full medal write up
PUNNIAR STAR 1843 ‘LIEUTT. E. C. MULLEN 50TH QUEEN’S OWN REGT.’ SUTLEJ 1845-46, FOR MOODKEE 1845, 1 CLASP, FEROZESHUHUR ‘ADJT. LIEUT. E: C: MULLEN 50TH REGT.’
Edward Cowell Mullen was born in 1818, the younger son of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Mullen, K.H., 1st Foot, a Peninsular War veteran. He was first commissioned as an Ensign in the 1st Foot on 26 August 1838. He transferred upon promotion to Lieutenant to the 31st Foot on 17 July 1840, transferred again as Lieutenant to the 50th Foot on 18 June 1841, becoming Adjutant of that regiment on 5 July 1845. In late 1843, he served in the Gwalior campaign and was present at the battle of Punniar on 29 December 1843 (Bronze Star). At this battle, General Grey found a division of the Gwalior army entrenched at Punniar. The British assaulted the positions and drove the enemy from them. British casualties were 35 killed and 182 wounded, 42 of which were suffered by the 50th Regiment. The medals awarded to the participants were made from bronze form the guns captured during the Gwalior campaign.
Two years later, Mullen took part the campaign on the Sutlej (Medal with clasp), including the great battles of Moodkee on 18 December, and Ferozeshuhur on 21-22 December 1845, at which latter he was severely wounded by a musket ball in the leg.
https://www.britishbattles.com/first-sikh-war/battle-of-ferozeshah/
Hospitalized after the battle, his wound never properly healed and effects of which he suffered from for the remainder of his life. The regiment having returned from India in June 1848 and still unfit for active duty, Mullen resigned his Adjutancy on 25 August 1848. Returning to Portsmouth, he died at Portsea, Hampshire, on 15 April 1850 and was buried in the garrison churchyard.
The 50th were one of the few British Regiments to take part in all the major battles of the Sutlej War, the other being the 31st Foot. The regiment sustained 109 casualties at Moodkee, second highest of any Regiment and 124 at Ferozeshuhur. The latter as terrible a battle that has been fought and very almost a defeat. At Aliwal a further 121 casualties were sustained and at the final battle at Sobraon, the regiment was again in the thick of things, suffering a further 239 casualties, by far the highest casualties of any other regiment. So high were the Officer casualties, that it was a lieutenant of the 50th who commanded the Regiment when they left the field of battle. When one considers the regimental strength at the start of the campaign was around 800 and taking into account men wounded in more than one action, the amount of casualties they had over a period of less than two months; 593 killed and wounded, was staggering. 5 Officers were killed during the campaign and 32 were wounded, the latter includes several Officers wounded more than once.
Condition GVF or better. Stars reverse with original screw posts and nuts, brass hook replaced with adapted metal plate and pin for wear; this making a most attractive fitting. Sutlej fitted with silver ribbon brooch, dark toned. An extremely attractive and scarce Officers group. Sold with Regimental history and other research both paper and on CD.