Waterloo 1815 (J. Bailes, Coldstr. Guards, 2nd Batt.) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, light edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise very fine £2,000-£2,600

Purchased Seaby, May 1980.

J. Bailes is shown on the Royal Mint supplementary roll (No. 4, p522) which notes ‘possibly same man as George Bailes of the same battalion’ and serving in the Light Company. However, the only George Bailes on the roll served in the 1st Foot Guards (discharge papers sold with lot refer).

Colour-Sergeant John Biddle (sold Dix Noonan Webb, June 2013) was one of four sergeants serving with the Light Company under Captain Hon. Robert Moore, the only other officer being Ensign Henry Gooch. The Coldstream Light Company occupied Hougoumont itself during the defence of the chateau which lasted for most of the day. In this fighting Biddle himself was wounded, but not so severely as to disable him in the immediate aftermath of the battle, for he seems to have been tasked with completing a roll of killed and wounded in the 2nd Coldstream Guards. Colour-Sergeant Biddle lists ‘J. Bale’ immediately below his own name in the Light Company list of wounded.