Candahar 1842 (Private David Crofsland, H.M. 40th Regiment) correctly named in fine running script, fitted with steel clip and bar suspension, good very fine and very scarce £800-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals formed by the late Alan Wolfe.

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A total of only 130 medals were issued for Candahar to European recipients, including 64 to the 40th Foot. Private David Crossland is confirmed on Gordon Everson’s roll of The Fighting Fortieth at Candahar as one of the small party of the 40th who accompanied Major-General England on his march from Candahar to Karachi.

General Nott marched out of Candahar on 10 August 1842, taking with him only his fittest and most effective soldiers, as he expected some stiff fighting on his 300 mile march to join up with General Pollock’s ‘Army of Retribution’. Nott left behind him some 2,500 native troops, all the women and children, thousands of camp followers and the sick, wounded and convalescent Europeans, among them being 20 N.C.O.s and men of the 40th. This conglomerate was left in the charge of Major-General England who immediately started south towards Karachi. It was a journey potentially more hazardous than that which Nott had undertaken. The stores and baggage were a tempting target for the tribesmen and the column was harassed all the way along the route to the Bolan Pass. But thereafter, the withdrawal across the plains of Cutchee was protected by Jacob’s Scinde Horse. The stragglers emerged from the desert in mid-October but it was not until December that all the Europeans were safely back in Karachi.