Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Albuhera (J. Potter, 57th Foot) very fine and a scarce casualty £2000-2500

James Potter was admitted to Chelsea Hospital as a pensioner on 9 September 1812, in consequence of ‘wounded right arm at Albuhera.’ Born at Bicester, Oxfordshire, he was a cordwainer by trade who had enlisted in about March 1809.

During the early part of the war in the Peninsula, the regiment, which contained a number of turbulent characters in its ranks, received the nickname of the ‘Steelbacks’, from the amount of flogging administered to these men and the way they bore the punishment; but after Albuhera, Colonel Inglis’ words to his ‘fighting villains’ caused this soubriquet to be replaced by the honourable one of ‘Die Hards.’ At this bloodiest of battles the 57th had 2 officers and 87 men killed and 21 officers and 318 men wounded.