A military C.B. group of five awarded to General John McNeill Walter, 35th Regiment, late 53rd and 90th Regiments

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, gold and enamel, hallmarks for 1857, with straight bar swivel suspension; South Africa 1834-53 (Lieut., 90th Regt.); Punjab 1848-49, 1 clasp, Goojerat (Captn., 53rd Foot); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Northwest Frontier (I. M. N. Walter, Captn., 53rd Foot) this renamed; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Lieut. Col., 35th Regt.) some contact marks, very fine and better (5) £2800-3200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

View
Collection

John McNeill Walter was commissioned an Ensign in the 90th Regiment on 31 July 1835, being advanced to Lieutenant in July 1839.

He served throughout the Second Kaffir War, 1846-47, as Adjutant of the 90th Regiment and was Field Adjutant of the 1st Division. Promoted to Captain in the 53rd Regiment in September 1847, he served with the regiment in the Second Sikh War, seeing action at the battle of Goojerat, 21 February 1849. He then served in the campaign of 1851-52 against the hill tribes on the Peshawur Frontier. Promoted to Major in December 1853 and to Lieutenant-Colonel in October 1856, he commanded the 35th Regiment from 1859-68, including service in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. There he commanded the Arrah Field Force in the actions at Sirthooa, Bramineegunge, Rampooreroiora, Jemaon, and Kareesath; and subsequently a Column in the operations in Shahabad, including the actions before Nonoodhee. For his services he was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the C.B.

In 1868 he exchanged to the Suffolk Regiment and in 1871 he was appointed to take command of the Sengar Brigade of the Bengal Army. Walter was promoted to Colonel in June 1861, Major-General in March 1868, Lieutenant-General in December 1878 and General in July 1881. Became Colonel-in-Chief of the Manchester Regiment in December 1889 and Colonel of the Royal Sussex Regiment in September 1895. General Walter died in 1898.

With copied research.