Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Private Thomas Adams, 71st Highland Light Infantry, later 23rd and 26th Foot

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (No ..94 Thomas Adams 71 H. Lt. Infy) contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Thos. Adams 71st Highd. L.I.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Umbeyla (3494, T. Adams, H.Ms. 71st Regt.); Abyssinia 1867, naming obliterated from the reverse and unlikely to be his original medal; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (1467, T. Adams, 26th Foot.); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue (No. 3494 Thomas Adams 74th Hd. Lt. Infy.) contemporary engraved naming as the first, fitted with replacement scroll suspension, heavy edge bruising and contact marks with partial losses to naming, fair to fine (6) £400-£500

Thomas Adams was born in the Parish of Newton, near New Battle, Midlothian, and attested for the 71st Highland Light Infantry at Dunfermline on 30 June 1852, aged 19. He served with the 71st in the Crimea, Central India and in the Umbeyla campaigns, and volunteered to join the 23rd Foot on 2 November 1864, at Agra. Following another three years service in India, he volunteered to join the 26th Foot on 1 November 1867, serving with that regiment in the Abyssinian campaign that immediately followed. He received his L.S. & G.C. medal with gratuity of £5 on 20 March 1871, and was discharged at Portsmouth on 2 March 1875. His discharge papers confirm that he was ‘in possession of four good conduct badges & the medal for long service & good conduct & the medals for Crimea, clasp Sebastopol, Turkish medal, Indian medal & Clasp for Central India & N.W. Provinces medal & Clasp for Umbeyla & Abyssinian medal.’ Sold with copied discharge papers, medal roll extracts and muster details.