Orders, Decorations and Medals Including five Special Collections

The Peninsula and Waterloo pair awarded to Colonel Francis Le Blanc, Lieutenant in the 4th Foot and Captain in the 2nd 95th Foot, severely wounded at the storming of St Sebastian

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Corunna, Fuentes D’Onor, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, St. Sebastian (Fras. Le Blanc, Lieut. 4th Foot); Waterloo 1815 (Captain F. Le Blanc, 2nd Batt. 95th Reg. Foot) fitted with original steel clip and silver bar suspension, light edge bruise to the first and minor contact marks, otherwise generally good very fine (2) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Gordon Everson.

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Francis Le Blanc was born in March 1790, and appointed Ensign in the 4th Foot on 30 May 1807. He accompanied the regiment in the expedition to Copenhagen, August to November 1807; at the battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809; and in the expedition to the Walcheren, July to Spetember 1809. Returning to the Peninsula, he was subsequently engaged at the action at Subugal, 3 April 1811; the battle of Fuentes D’Onor, 3 May 1811; the skirmish at Barba del Puerco, 11 May 1811; the siege and capture of Badajoz, 6 April 1812; the battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812; the retreat from Burgos, October to November 1812; the battle of Vittoria, 21 June 1813; the siege of San Sebastian, July 1813; the battles of the Pyrenees, 26 July to 2 August 1813; and the storming and capture of San Sebastian, 31 August 1813.

Le Blanc was severely wounded at San Sebastian and was mentioned in Sir Thomas Graham’s San Sebastian despatch, dated Oyarzun, 1 September 1813, ‘Lieutenant Le Blanc, of the 4th Foot, who led the light infantry company of the regiment, immediately after the forlorn hope, and is the only surviving officer of the advance’. He was appointed Captain in the 4th Garrison Battalion on 28 September 1813, and Captain in the 2nd Battalion of the 95th Regiment on 1 December 1814. At the battle of Waterloo, where he commanded No. 6 Company, the 2nd 95th were heavily engaged near the chateau of Hougoumont, and, at about 4p.m. were attacked by the French carabiniers and grenadiers à cheval of the Imperial Guard.

Le Blanc transferred to the 43rd Foot on 17 December 1818, became Major on 31 December 1822, and Lieutenant-Colonel, unattached, on 11 July 1826. He was appointed to the 53rd Foot on 9 August 1827, placed on Half Pay on 28 February 1828, and became Colonel on 23 November 1841. He exchanged to the 46th Foot on 16 May 1846, and retired the same day. Colonel Le Blanc died at Blackbrook House, Fareham, on 7 January 1880.