Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Peninsula War pair awarded to Major Peter Deshon, 85th Foot, late 43rd Foot, taken prisoner of war in the West Indies 1795-96 and afterwards exchanged for an Ensign in the French Navy, he went on to command the 85th at the battle of the Nive

Field Officer’s Gold Medal 1808-14, for Nive (Major Peter Deshon, 85th Regt.) complete with gold ribbon buckle; Military General Service 1793-1814, 3 clasps, Busaco, St. Sebastian, Nivelle (Peter Deshon, Major 43rd & 85th Foot) extremely fine (2) £15000-20000

Sold with a very rare certificate of exchange, dated 4 August 1796, issued by the ‘Commissioners for Conducting His Majesty’s Transport Service, and for the Care and Custody of Prifoners of War’, certifying that “Monsr. Henry Boulmay an Ensign belonging to the French Navy, taken in the Pique Frigate, has been releafed from his Parole at Bodmin in England and permitted to return to France in Exchange for Ensign Peter Deshon of His Britannic Majesty’s 43d Regiment of Infantry, late a Prifoner in France, and who was permitted to come to England to effect his Exchange’; and four original parchment commissions as Lieutenant in the 43rd Foot (1 September 1795), Captain in the 43rd Foot (25 June 1803), Major in the 43rd Foot (16 August 1810), and as Major in the 85th Foot (25 January 1813).

Peter Deshon was born in the West Indies on 6 June 1776 and gazetted an Ensign in the 43rd Foot on 14 March 1789. He served in the expedition to the West Indies in 1794-95, under Sir Charles Grey, for the reduction of Martinique, Guadaloupe, and St Lucia. During these operations he was made a prisoner of war of the French and afterwards exchanged for an Ensign in the French Navy who had been captured in the brilliant four-hour action between the French frigate La Pique and H.M.S. Blanche, off Guadaloupe.

Promoted to Lieutenant in September 1795, whilst still a prisoner, and to Captain in June 1803, Deshon served with the 43rd in the Peninsula from October 1808 until re-embarked at Vigo in January 1809, as part of Craufurd’s brigade, and returned to England. He went back to Portugal in July 1809 and served with Craufurd’s Light Division on the Coa where he was slightly wounded in the action of 24 July 1810, the 43rd having three officers killed and eleven wounded. He was promoted to Major in the 43rd in August 1810, fought at the battle of Busaco in the following October and returned to England at the end of that year.

In January 1813 Deshon exchanged, as senior Major, to the 85th Foot as part of a top down replacement its officers due to a breakdown of discipline in the regiment. The thirty-four new officers, coming as they did from a great variety of regiments with differing uniforms including Rifle Green, Cameron kilt, and numerous redcoats with a kaleidoscope of facings, quickly gained the regiment a new sobriquet, the ‘Elegant Extracts’, by which it was known for many years. Deshon proceeded to the Peninsula with his new regiment in August 1813, taking part in the capture and assault of St Sebastian, and the battles of Nivelle and Nive, at which last he commanded the Light Companies and was rewarded with the gold medal. Major Deshon retired on 22 May 1817. He had eleven children by his first wife, Jane, who he married in December 1800 and who died at Chester in April 1820. Although he subsequently married again, the union produced no further children. Major Peter Deshon died at Leamington on 27 June 1852, aged 76.