Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel A. Gammell, 5th Foot, late 76th Regiment, 12th Lancers and 31st Regiment

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Lieut., 12th Lancers), contemporary engraved naming; China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860 (Capt., 31st Regt.); Abyssinia 1867 (Bt. Lieut. Col., 1st Bn. 5th Foot); Turkish Crimea 1855, Hunt & Roskill Sardinian type striking (Lieutt., 12th Lancers), contemporary engraved naming, the first with heavy contact marks and bruising, good fine, the remainder generally very fine or better (4) £800-1000

Andrew Gammell was originally commissioned into the 76th Regiment in April 1846 and ‘commanded a detachment of the regiment during the insurrection in Cephalonia in 1849, and received the thanks of Colonel Trollope commanding the troops in that island, for his services in suppressing the insurrection and in carrying out martial law’ (Hart’s refers).

Sometime thereafter transferring to the 12th Lancers, he served in the Crimea from 17 May 1855, including the capture of Tchorgaun, battle of Tchernaya, siege and fall of Sebastopol and various operations near Eupatoria (Medal with clasp; Turkish Medal), and was advanced to Lieutenant in July 1855.

Gammell next transferred to the 31st Regiment, was advanced to Captain in February 1858 and witnessed further active service in the Second China War, when, according to Hart’s, he ‘acted as Staff Officer to the Royal Artillery, 1st Division, during the campaign in north China in 1860, from the landing at Pehtang, including the affair at Sinho, capture of Tangku, assault and capture of the Taku Forts, actions at Chankiawan and Palichow and advance upon and occupation of Pekin (Medal with two clasps). Served as D.A.Q.M. General during the latter portion of the occupation of Tientsin in 1860-61, and in the operations against the Taipings in the vicinity of Shanghai in 1862, including the bombardment and storming of Kahding on 24 October (Mentioned in despatches and Brevet of Major)’.

Advanced to substantive Major in July 1864, Gammell was next appointed to the 5th Foot, and served in the Abyssinia operations of 1867-68 as D.A.Q.M. General at Zoulla (Mentioned in despatches, Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and Medal). He appears to have been placed on the Retired List, or died, in the early 1870s.

Also see Lot No. 438 for his father’s Military General Service 1793-1814.