A VERY SCARCE SUTLEJ 1845 AWARDED TO AN OFFICERS OF THE 53RD FOOT WHO WAS WOUNDED AT BOTH THE BATTLE OF ALIWAL AND SOBRAON

SUTLEJ 1845-46, ALIWAL REVERSE, CLASP, SOBRAON ‘LIEUT JOHN CHESTER 53RD REGT’.

John Chester, eldest son of Lt-General John Chester, was born on 6 May 1823 and was Commissioned Ensign of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot on 2 October 1840. Purchasing a lieutenancy on 1 July 1842, 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. Chester took part in the action of Baddowal, 21 January 1846 and the brilliant victory at Aliwal a week later, Lieutenant Chester being wounded during the latter battle:

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

His wounds not being debilitating nature, on 10 February 1846, Lieutenant Chester was present with his regiment at the great battle of Sobron, the decisive battle of the campaign. During the battle he was severely wounded, being ‘shot through the lungs and back'.

Recovering from his wounds, he purchased a Captaincy on 3 December 1847, he exchanged into the 85th Foot on 6 December 1850. He was appointed Staff Officer of Pensioners on 1 May 1858 and advanced to Major on 20 February 1859, before retiring from the army shortly after.

John Chester’s grandfather, brother to the 1st Lord Bagot, assumed the name Chester, and afterwards that of St Leger, under the will of his cousin, but it was not until 1863 that the surnames of John and his wife Philippa. were changed to St Leger. After changing his name to St Leger, John became a magistrate for Norfolk and the West Riding of Yorkshire and held the office of Justice of the Peace.

St Leger resided at Park Hill, Yorkshire, and later died on 9 August 1905.

His Army list entry:

“Major St. Leger served with the 53rd Regt. in the Sutlej campaign of 1845-6, including the affair at Buddiwal, and battles of Aliwal (wounded) and Sobraon (severely wounded by a musket ball through the body): Medal and Clasp.”

Condition VF, light contact marks. Sold with digital research.

A scarce 53rd foot medal to an officer wounded at two battles during the first Sikh War.