Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Colonel James Steel, C.B., 2nd Bengal European Regiment
Army of India 1799-1826, 2 clasps, Ava, Bhurtpoor (Capt., 41st N.I.) short hyphen reverse, officially engraved naming; Punjab 1849, 2 clasps, Chilianwala, Goojerat (Major, Commg. 2nd Eur. Regt.) edge bruise to the last, otherwise nearly extremely fine and rare (2)

James Steel was born at Cockermouth, Cumberland, in 1792. He arrived in India in March 1808 and was posted as Ensign to the 15th Native Infantry. He was wounded in the operations against the Garrows in 1810 and served in Java with the 7th L.I. Volunteer battalion, as Instructor and Quartermaster from 1812 till November 1816. He served in the Arakan, First Burma War, 1825, as Captain and Adjutant, 1st L.I. battalion, and at the siege and capture of Bhurtpoor with the 41st Native Infantry. Steel held the position of Deputy Judge Advocate General, Dinapore and Benares, in 1825 and 1826, and was Superintendant of Police in Calcutta from December 1830 till 1835. He was appointed Inspector of a new Police battalion in May 1844, and Superintendant of Cantonment Police, North West Provinces, in June 1847, a position which he held until June 1857. He rejoined his regiment for service in the Second Sikh War and commanded the 2nd Bengal European Regiment at the passage of the Chenab, battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat, and the pursuit of the Sikhs. For his services in this campaign he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel and made a Companion of the Bath. He was promoted Colonel on 9 October, 1858, and died in Brighton on 18 August, 1859.
Only 13 Army of India medals were issued with the combination of Ava with Bhurtpoor.