An Important Collection of Medals to The King's German Legion, the Property of a Gentleman

A Waterloo pair to Driver-Corporal John Duensing, King’s German Artillery, awarded the Guelphic Medal for services in the Peninsula

Waterloo 1815 (D.Corp. John Duensing, King’s Germ. Artillery) fitted with replacement silver loop and ring suspension; Hannoverian Medal for Volunteers of the K.G.L. 1814, the first with edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and better (2) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals to The King's German Legion, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Collection

Ex MacDougall Collection 1917.

Henry John Duensing was awarded the Guelphic Medal on 25 May 1841:

‘The Fourth Foot Battery, during the campaign in the Peninsula and France, acquired a reputation not just for their artillery achievements under fire, but also because their teams were always in better condition than any others despite long marches and shortage of fodder. In the battle of Toulouse, the artillery had to move forward out of a valley up on to a difficult height and, on the way, cross over a deep ditch. The Battery crossed the latter and moved on to the hill in excellent order; not so an English battery, their horses did not have sufficient strength, and required the help of the German teams. When towards the close of the battle an English battery had to retire with their infantry, their horses were so exhausted that they were only able to perform their duty with assistance from the Germans. This was both a source of pride and of pleasure to the Battery.

A great part of the credit, which came to the Battery through the condition of their horses, was ascribed by the officers themselves to this efficient N.C.O., who had looked after the horses with untiring attention and care. These excellent qualities Duensing has also shown in peacetime here in Hannover, where the artillery horses entrusted to him were cared for in the most zealous way without a break, until his death in 1844. Through his honourable and trustworthy behaviour he will long be held in affection and respect by both his seniors and those under him.

In addition, in the field he performed the following important service: The French made a violent sortieon the 19th March 1812 at the beginning of the Siege of Badajoz. Two guns of the Battery, which were out on picquet, helped in repulsing this attack. Because of the pursuit they had come too close to the works of the fortress, where heavy calibre guns were free to be fired by the enemy. Thus the retreat of the two guns had become very hazardous, although they had quickly sought cover behind a house, which was immediately shot at by the enemy. They were almost considered lost, as the only route back seemed to lie across an open field. Then Duensing remembered a sunken roadwhich he had seen a long time before and knew must lie in the vicinity. Quickly he sought this, despite a rain of enemy shot. He soon found it and, as it was very near and provided a covered route back, the two guns escaped with trivial loss.’ (Ref Von Wissel p206)

Previous applications for the Guelphic Medal had been refused Duensing, having been based on the Badajoz incident in 1812. In 1841, however, the Medal Commission recommended that his case should fall within the terms of the Edict of 30 August 1839 (allowing awards for actions prior to 1813) and his award was duly sanctioned.

Duensing had enlisted on 8 December 1805 and served in the 4th Foot Battery, King’s German Artillery, in the Peninsula, France, and at Waterloo. He was discharged from the K.G.A. on 29 February 1816 and subsequently enlisted into the Hannoverian Artillery. He died in 1844 before the issue of the M.G.S. medal, but his Guelphic Medal was recorded in the Gaskell Collection in 1905.