SUTLEJ MEDAL

A RARE SUTLEJ MEDAL 1845 OFFICER FATAL CASUALTY MEDAL AWARDED TO A CAPTAIN OF THE 53RD FOOT, WHO AFTER TAKING PART IN THE ACTION OF BADDOWAL AND BATTLE OF ALIWAL, WAS VERY SEVERELY WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF SOBRAON. LEFT WOUNDED IN THE OPEN WHEN THE 53RD FORMED SQUARE ON BEING ATTACKED BY SIKH CAVALRY, THREE BRAVE PRIVATES LEFT THE RANKS AND RUSHED FORWARD UNDER A HEAVY AND CLOSE FIRE AND CARRIED HIM TO THE REAR, HOWEVER HE WOULD DIE OF HIS WOUNDS SHORTLY AFTER

SUTLEJ MEDAL 1845, ALIWAL REVERSE, CLASP SOBRAON ‘CAPT THOS SMART 53RD REGT.’

Thomas Smart was born circa 1810 and was commissioned Ensign of the 53rd Foot on 24 July 1828. Then based in Dublin, the 53rd moved to Gibraltar the following year and Smart was advanced Lieutenant, 14 September 1832. In 1834 the 53rd moved to Malta and in 1836 to Corfu, Smart attaining the rank of Captain on 12 April 1839. Returning home with the regiment in 1840, in August 1844 the 53rd Embarked for service in Bengal and landed in Calcutta in December. Proceeding to Cawnpore, in November 1845, the 53rd were and at Agra at the outbreak of the Sikh war, they proceeded to Dehli. Ordered to join the Army on the Sutlej in January 1846, the 53rd formed part of Sir Harry Smith’s detached force. Smart, who commanded the Light Company, took part in the action of Baddowal, 21 January 1846 and the brilliant victory at Aliwal a week later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Sikh_war

On 10 February 1846, Captain Smart was present with his regiment at the great battle of Sobron, the decisive battle of the campaign. During the battle, Smart was severely wounded, his life initially being saved by the bravery of three soldiers of the regiment:

“Captain Smart (Light Company) had been wounded in the leg at the time that the 53rd had been threatened by Sikh cavalry. The left wing of the 53rd Foot, falling back to form square, left him out in the open, but seeing this, Privates George Marshal, Richard Ware and Thomas Jones left the ranks and rushed forward under a heavy and close fire and carried him to the rear. In recognition of their gallantry, these men were given watches by the relatives of Captain Smart.”

See: https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/53rd-in-Sikh-Wars-1-2.pdf

Smarts wounds were of such a severe nature that he died eleven days later, 21 February 1846. He is buried at Ferozepore, along with Captain Warren, Lieutenant Clarke and Adjutant Dunning, all of whom were killed or died of wounds received at the battle of Sobraon. Captain Warren and Captain Smart were the two senior Captains of the 53rd during the campaign, and the senior fatal casualties. Captain Smart’s and the other casualties names also appear on the memorial plaque in St Chad's Shrewsbury. See this fine website for details of the various battles etc:

https://www.anglosikhwars.com/battles/

Condition GVF, with its original ribbon, this quite fragile. Sold with copy photograph of the St Chad Memorial, 53rd Regiment Casualty Lists and details of the 53rd Regiment in the Sikh Wars. Also regimental history (digital).

53rd Officer Sutlej medals rarely come on the market, let alone ones to casualties. However Captain Smart’s medal is a particularly rare example to a British Officer fatal casualty, especially for Sobraon.