Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Punjab 1848-49, 2 clasps, Chilianwala, Goojerat (Lieut. W. C. Dilkes, 61st Foot.) toned, extremely fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Militaria to the Gloucestershire Regiment (28th and 61st Foot).

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William Charles Dilkes entered the service on 27 May 1842, as an Ensign in the 3rd Foot, and in the following July proceeded to India for the purpose of joining that regiment. Before he arrived, however, he was transferred, 25 October 1842, to the 21st Foot, as a Second-Lieutenant, and on arriving at Calcutta, in November 1842, he proceeded and joined that latter regiment, then en route from Dinapore to Kamptee. At the latter station he served with the regiment until December 1845, when he marched with it to Agra. On the 31st of that month he was promoted, in India, to the rank of Lieutenant in the 31st Foot, then forming part of the Army of the Sutlej, but he was unable to join this corps before the conclusion of the operations, and when his promotion was confirmed by the War Office the date was altered to the 31st March 1846. The 31st having been ordered home immediately after the conclusion of the Sutlej campaign, he exchanged, 10 June 1846, into the 53rd, but this exchange fell through in consequence of the War Office having, on the 8th of the preceding month, transferred him back to the 21st Foot. He accompanied the 21st from Agra to Cawnpore in January 1847, and served with it there for seven months, but this regiment being under orders to return home he, on the 21st August, exchanged into the 61st Foot, which he joined at Ambala. He accompanied the 61st to Jullundur in February 1848, and in the autumn of the same year was employed with it in operations against insurgents in the Jullundur Doab. He afterwards served with it throughout the Punjab campaign of 1848-49, and was present at the passage of the Chenab, the action of Sadulapur, the battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat, and the pursuit of the enemy to the Khyber Pass (Medal with two Clasps). On the conclusion of the war he was stationed with his regiment at Peshawar, at which place he died on 4 June 1849. Sold with copied extract from Soldiers of the Raj.