Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An important Waterloo Medal awarded to Lieutenant R. Cochran, 2nd Battalion, 95th Foot, who was severely wounded in the left arm at the heroic defence of the bridge at Vera in 1813, and again in the left breast at the battle of Waterloo

Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. R. Cochran, 2nd Batt. 95th Reg. Foot) fitted with original steel clip and bar suspension and additional riband fitments, contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £8,000-£12,000

Robert Cochrane was born in Gibraltar on 8 August 1794, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant, 95th Foot, on 9 November 1809, aged 15, becoming First Lieutenant in May 1812. He served in the Peninsula with the 2nd Battalion, 95th Foot, from August 1811 to the end of the war in 1814, including the defence of Cadiz, actions at Aranjuex, San Munos, and San Milan, battle of Vittoria, and defence of the bridge of Vera. He served also in the campaign of 1815, and was present at the battle of Waterloo and capture of Paris. Cochrane was severely wounded in the left arm at Vera, and slightly in the left breast at Waterloo. He was promoted to Captain in May 1828 and to Major Retired on Full Pay in January 1841, when he was admitted as a Military Knight of Windsor. He duly received the Military General Service Medal with clasps for Vittoria and Pyrenees. Major Cochrane died on 27 May 1864, at the Lower Ward, Windsor Castle, and was buried in St George’s Chapel with full military honours, all Naval and Military Knights being in attendance.

The bridge at Vera
On the very day that San Sebastian fell to the Allies, 31 August 1813, Marshal Soult made one last desperate attempt to relieve the place. The attempt ended in failure, however, and the relieving troops were ordered to withdraw. Consequently, 10,000 French troops under Vandermaesen pulled back towards Vera and the fords there across the Bidassoa river which they had crossed that morning. Unfortunately for them, the level of the river had risen dramatically and the only way across the river was via the bridge which spanned the Bidassoa at Vera.

However, as they approached it they found their way blocked by Captain Daniel Cadoux and 80 men of the 2/95th Rifles. The French were left with little choice but to attack Cadoux and his small party of men whom the French thought would take little brushing aside. In the event, Cadoux held on for two hours, inflicting 231 casualties on the French including Vandermaesen himself, who was killed. Whilst the fighting was in progress Cadoux sent repeated requests to General Skerrett, acting commander of the Light Division and who was aware of the action, but he did nothing, otherwise the whole of the French division might have been forced to surrender. No support was given to Cadoux and finally the 95th were forced to give way. The brave Cadoux was killed along with sixteen men while all three surviving officers and 43 of his men were wounded. With the withdrawal of the 95th the French were able to gain the safety of the opposite side of the river.

Sold with an original autograph of the Duke of Wellington, cut from a letter when he was Prime Minister, and some research.