AN EXTREMELY FINE AND SCARCE CASED SOUTH AFRICA, CRIMEAN WAR, INDIAN MUTINY CAMPAIGNS AND MINIATURES GROUP AWARDED TO A CANADIAN CAPTAIN, WHO WITNESSED EXTENSIVE CONFLICT OVERSEAS WITH THE 12TH AND 95TH REGIMENTS OF FOOT, BEING DECORATED WITH THE ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE. HIS DIARY HELD IN THE NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM COLLECTION

SOUTH AFRICA 1834-53 ‘ENSIGN G. ROBERTSON, 12TH. REGT.’; CRIMEA 1854-56, CLASP, SEBASTOPOL ‘G-ROBERTSON- LIEUT. 95TH. FOOT.’ CONTEMPORARY ENGRAVED NAMING; INDIAN MUTINY 1857-59, CLASP, CENTRAL INDIA ‘LIEUT. G. ROBERTSON, 95TH. REGT.’; OTTOMAN EMPIRE, ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE, FIFTH CLASS BREAST BADGE, SILVER, GOLD AND ENAMEL, PRIVATELY ENGRAVED TO REVERSE ‘LIEUT. G. ROBERTSON. 95TH. REGT.’, MINOR RED ENAMEL LOSS TO CRESCENT SUSPENSION; TURKISH CRIMEA 1855, SARDINIAN ISSUE ‘LIEUT. G ROBERTSON. 95TH. REGT.’ CONTEMPORARY ENGRAVED NAMING, ALL FIVE FITTED WITH PERIOD UNMARKED SILVER TOP WEARING PINS.

2) MATCHING CONTEMPORARY MINIATURE AWARDS, THESE MOUNTED FROM HUNT & ROSKELL SILVER RIBAND BUCKLES.

3) BOTH FULL SIZED AND MINIATURE AWARDS CONTAINED WITHIN AN ATTRACTIVE TWO-DRAWER SILK AND VELVET LINED FITTED CASE WITH BRASS LOCK AND KEY, NAMED TO TOP LID IN GILT LETTERING ‘CAPTAIN ROBERTSON, 95TH DERBYSHIRE REGIMENT’.

4) A SMALL CONTEMPORARY ENVELOPE CONTAINING ORIGINAL SILK RIBANDS FOR THE FULL-SIZE AWARDS.

Army List entry “Captain Robertson served with the 12th Regt. in the Kaffir war of 1851-53 (Medal ) . Served with the 95th Regt in the Crimea from 21st Jan. 1855, including the siege and fall of Sebastopol, sortie of 5th May, and assaults of 18th June and 8th September (Medal with clasp, Turkish Medal, 5th Class of the Meddjidie). Also the Indian campaign of 1857-58, including the siege assault and capture of Kotah, and pursuit of Tantia Topee (medal)”.

George Robertson was born in Montreal, Canada, on 30 September 1831, and attested for the 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot as Ensign by purchase on 17 June 1851, aged 19 years and 8 months. Posted to South Africa, he served during the Eighth Kaffir War from 1851 to 1853 in operations against Xhosa and Khoikhoi forces. The campaign later became regarded as one of the most bitter and brutal in the series of Xhosa wars…………..

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Condition, contact marks to SA 1853 and Crimea, rest with very light wear, miniatures NEF Sold with copied Service Record and other research. A most impressive group and a scarce combination of awards.

The National Army Museum holds the campaign diary, kept by Captain Robertson between 18 Dec 1853 and 28 Mar 1857 (NAM 1975-08-61).