Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Vimiera, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Toulouse (John Johnston, Capt. 2nd Foot) minor edge bruising, very fine £3500-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Napoleonic War Medals formed by the late R.W. Gould, M.B.E..

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Ex Hurley Collection 1950.


John Johnston was appointed Ensign in the 2nd Foot in December 1800, and promoted Lieutenant in March 1804. On 17 December 1805, he was captured at sea with three companies of his regiment when the transport vessel Lady Shaw Stewart, en route to England from Gibraltar, became separated from her convoy. She was captured in Cadiz Bay by elements of what remained of the French fleet after Trafalgar. Later, the Queen’s, joined by a two company detachment of the 54th Foot, taken by the French two days before, were all put aboard the French 44-gun frigate Volontaire. This frigate left the fleet intending to land the prisoners at Tenerife, but, observing two sail thought to be British cruisers, felt it prudent to make for the Cape of Good Hope to meet the vanguard of her division in friendlier waters. Arriving at Table Bay, the French captain, unaware that the area was now under British control, and feeling comfortable with the deceptive colours on the ships at anchor and on the forts, boldly sailed into captivity, to the great surprise and delight of Commodore Popham, commanding the British Squadron there. The Commodore’s delight, however, could never have exceeded that of the 217 officers and men of the 2nd Queen’s and 54th regiments who were allowed to complete their voyage home. The Volontaire, a superb frigate of 1804 tons, was swiftly added to the Royal Navy under its own name.

Lieutenant Johnston served with the 2nd Foot in the Peninsula from August 1808 to January 1809, including the action at Vimiera. In February 1809, together with three officers and 96 men of the 2nd Foot, he joined the newly formed 2nd Battalion Detachments, taking part in the Douro campaign shortly afterwards, and remained with this unit until June of that year, when he returned home. With his regiment bak up to strength, Johnston returned to the Peninsula in April 1811 and was promoted to Captain the following August, having fought at the battle of Salamanca, in which the 2nd Foot lost three officers killed. He subsequently served at Burgos and the retreat from there in November 1812. In December, the depleted state of the regiment caused it to be amalgamated with the remnants of the 2/53rd Foot to become the 2nd Provisional Battalion, and in this unit Captain Johnston was present at Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nive, Bordeaux and Toulouse. Advanced to Major in January 1825, he retired in April 1829.