Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

China 1857-60, 2 clasps, Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860 (Lt. Col. T. C. Knox. CB. 67th Regt.) officially impressed naming, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Hampshire Regiment.

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Thomas Edmond Knox was born in London on 16 March 1820, son of Admiral Hon. Edmund Sexton Pery Knox, R.N. He was first commissioned as Ensign in the 98th Foot on 26 January 1838, removing to the 85th Foot the following month; Lieutenant, June 1842; Adjutant, October 1843; Captain, July 1846; Major, 3rd West India Regiment, by purchase, August 1852; Major, 67th Regiment, by exchange, February 1853; Lieutenant-Colonel, September 1858.

Lieutenant-Colonel Knox commanded the 67th Regiment throughout the campaign of 1860 in China, including the action of Sinho, taking of Tongho, and led the storming party across the main ditch at the taking of the inner Taku Fort when 77 officers and men of the 67th were killed or wounded. He was also present at the surrender of Pekin.

He was mentioned in Lieutenant-General Sir J. Hope Grant’s despatch of 24th August 1860, ‘for passing the main ditch of the Taku Fort on the 21st August 1860 with the Storming party, partly by the French Bridge and partly by swimming over and forcing their way in by single file in the most gallant manner.’

For these services he was rewarded with the C.B. (London Gazette 1 March 1861) and received the China medal with 2 clasps. He was made Brevet Colonel in January 1863, and transferred to the 9th Regiment in October 1864, commanding the 2nd Battalion in Japan 1865-74, when it was guarding the British Legation. In November 1888 he transferred to the 2nd Hampshire Regiment, who were then serving in Burma, before transferring to the Colonelcy of the 9th Regiment once more in December 1893. He retired in the rank of General and died on 27 May 1898.