Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Private F. Parrott, 80th Regiment

Sutlej 1845-46, for Moodkee 1845, 2 clasps, Ferozeshuhur, Sobraon (Drumr. Frederick Parrott, 80th Regt.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Dr. Fredk. Parrott, 80th Regt.); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Fredk. Parrett, 80th Regt.) note spelling of surname; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (1526 Fredk. Parrott, 80th Regt.) attempted erasure of rank on the first two, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and better (4) £2,400-£2,800

Frederick Parrott was an Army “Brat” who became a Drummer in the 80th Foot, aged 14, on the death of his father, Sergeant Ambrose Parrott of the West Kent Militia, who died suddenly on 14 October 1838, at the age of 44, leaving his wife to care for their children, which led to the decision for Frederick should join the Army. This he did, and two weeks later, on 29 October - aged 14 years and 4 months - he travelled from Maidstone to Rochester to enlist. At that time the 80th Foot, later the South Staffordshire Regiment, was stationed at nearby Chatham; this was the Regiment he joined as a Boy Drummer. His enlistment must have been a great relief to his mother, since the year before, in July 1837, Frederick’s elder brother Edwin, then 17, had been convicted and transported as a convict to New South Wales, Australia.

Frederick Parrott was to serve for 21 years in the 80th Foot; was never court-martialled; was five times entered in the Regimental Defaulters Book; earned five good conduct badges; and qualified for four medals. He travelled all over the world, taking part in four major and bloody battles in which the 80th Foot earned Battle Honours to display with pride on their colours and drums. By a strange coincidence, his first overseas posting was to join his Regiment in Australia, where they had gone to escort convicts and were stationed in Windsor, New South Wales. Their duties at this time were, as the Regimental History puts it, ‘[e]ngaged in the not very congenial task of suppressing convict riots’.

In 1840 he left Australia and went with his Regiment to New Zealand where he served until 1845 when, suddenly, the 80th were posted to Agra in India to take part in the Sikh War. His first action was at the Battle of Moodkee. It was a bloody bayonet battle in which two of his fellow drummers were killed and two wounded, one so severely he had to be invalided back to England. At the next battle, Ferozashah, the 80th were at the head of the advancing British column when they were stopped by artillery fire. The Commander in Chief rode up and spoke to them: ‘My lads we will have no sleep until we have those guns’. The 80th fixed bayonets charged and captured the guns. Then with good discipline reformed at the head of the Column and marched past the Commander in Chief who commented, ‘Plucky dogs, we cannot but win with such men as these’. In the final battle of the war, at Sobraon, the 80th were part of Sir Robert Dick’s Division tasked to secure the entrenchments. It was another fierce affair using the bayonet, in which Sir Robert Dick was killed and the British suffered 2,500 casualties. For the part they played in the war, the 80th added three Battle Honours to the Colours of the Regiment.

After a period stationed in India, the 80th were off again, called to arms and posted to take part in the developing war in Burma. Under command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. Hutchinson, they took part in the storming and capture of the Grand Dragon Pagoda in Rangoon, which meant crossing 800 yards of open ground under heavy fire and clearing the gunners manning the walls using the bayonet. The 80th then boarded H.M.S. Enterprise and sailed up river to take part in the capture of Prome. It was another battle where the 80th advanced with their bayonets and, as their Commanding General, General Goodwin, later said, ‘Most gallantly drove the enemy out of their position’. After further engagements, including at Dinebaw, the Regiment was posted back first to Calcutta and then in 1854 on home to Chatham having been granted another battle honour for their bravery in Burma - ‘Pegu’.

Their stay in the UK was again brief; a short period in Canterbury, then to Fort George in Scotland and then, in 1855, to Portsmouth. However, the 80th were soon called upon to go overseas for another impending war. This time it was to South Africa in preparation for the Kaffir War. On 10 July 1856 they sailed to Cape Colony in South Africa, and were based at Fort Beaufort. But it was to be a short stay; the Mutiny had broken out in India, and in November 1857 the Regiment was despatched to Calcutta.

Throughout the suppression of the Mutiny, the 80th were in constant action against bands of rebel soldiers. At the battle of Fort Simree, they again advanced with the bayonet and, in the General Officers Report it is stated: ‘The advance of the 80th under Captain Young excited my warmest approbation’. They fought bitter actions at Dhana and the Campaign in the Oude, and finally finished at the scene of the notorious massacre at Cawnpore. The 80th Regiment gained the Battle Honour ‘Central India’ and Frederick Parrott gained the Medal without clasp.

Parrott remained in India with his Regiment stationed at Saugor in the Central Province in 1860, and then in Jhansi in 1861. On 30 November 1861 he was recommended for the Long Service and Good Conduct medal and this was approved by the Commander in Chief, India on 19 October 1862, granting him an annuity of five pounds. Frederick now sailed back to England and on 4 August 1863, after 20 years and 348 days abroad, he was finally discharged from the Depot in Maidstone. He had been in the Army for 21 years 37 days but, as he had joined under age, his pension was only for 15 years and 125 days.

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