The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties

The Peninsula War Medal awarded to Corporal William Walsh, 79th Foot, who was wounded in the face in Egypt in 1801, and also at Fuentes D’Onor in 1811

Military General Service 1793-1814, 6 clasps, Corunna, Busaco, Fuentes D’Onor, Pyrenees, Nive, Toulouse (W. Walsh, Corpl. 79th Foot) nearly extremely fine £2,200-£2,600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties.

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Provenance: Glendining’s, July 1940; Christie’s, April 1984.

William Walsh was born in the Parish of St John’s, Waterford, Ireland, and enlisted into the 79th Foot on 25 September 1798, aged 22. He served in Egypt at the battle of Alexandria and was wounded in the face on 13 March 1801. The pay lists indicate that he took part in the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807. He served in the Corunna campaign of 1809 and in the Peninsula at the battled of Busaco and Fuentes D’Onor, where he was again wounded. He afterwards took part in the battles of the Pyrenees, Nive and Toulouse before transferring to the 2nd Battalion on 24 December 1814. He was discharged in the rank of Corporal on 2 March 1816, in consequence of ‘Asthma - was wounded in the face in Egypt, 13th March 1801, & at Fuentes de Honor, 5th May 1811.’

He does not appear to have lived to claim the Egypt clasp in 1850. Sold with copied discharge papers.