Orders, Decorations and Medals

The unique group of six awarded to Lieutenant-General Hon. E. T. Gage, C.B., Royal Horse Artillery, commanding a party of sappers and sailors on the Danube, 1854.

i THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH, C.B., Military, gold and enamel breast badge, hallmarked London, 1815-16, with gold ribbon buckle.
ii CRIMEA 1854-55, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol, engraved naming in the style of Hunt and Roskell (Lt. Colonel Honble, Rl. Arty.).
iii Turkey, ORDER OF THE MEDJIDIE, 5th class, silver, gold and enamel breast badge.
iv Sardinia, AL VALORE MILITARE, Spedizione d'Oriente 1855-1856 (Bt. Lt. Col. Honble., Rl. Arty.).
v Turkey, GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, in gold, engraved on edge (Lt. Colonel Honble., Rl. Arty. Danube, 1854). It is believed that no more than five gold medals were awarded to British recipients.
vi TURKISH CRIMEA MEDAL, contemporary tailor's copy with silver ribbon buckle, named. Some very minor damage to the C.B., otherwise good very fine (6)

Lieutenant-General the Honourable Edward Thomas Gage (1825-1890), joined the Royal Horse Artillery in December 1844. He proceeded to the Crimea as a Captain, in 1854, and in July of that year took command of a party of 40 sappers, from 10th Company Rl. Sappers and Miners, and a body of seamen, and travelled on horseback from Varna to Roustchouk. Here they were to be employed preparing materials for the bridge proposed to be established across the Danube. The success of this operation effectively thwarted the Czar of Russia's intended invasion, by the threat of a massive Turkish response across that all important makeshift bridge across the Danube, connecting Roustehouk with Giurgevo, a distance of some 700 yards. For his services whilst attached to the Turkish Army under Omar Pasha, he was awarded the Gold Medal for the campaign on the Danube, by the Turkish Government. As Brigade Major to the Royal Horse Artillery he was present at the affairs of Bulganac and M'Kenzie's Farm, the battles of Alma, Balaklava and Inkermann, the capture of Balaklava, and the siege and fall of Sebastopol (awarded C.B., Brevets of Major and Lieutenant-Colonel, medal with four clasps, Sardinian and Turkish medals, and 5th class of the Medjidie). Gage saw no further active service and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General in 1882, and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery in 1887.