Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Maharajpoor Star to Captain F. Coddington, 40th Foot, who succeeded to the command of the regiment during the battle of Maharajpoor, had a horse shot from under him, and was severely wounded ‘at the very muzzles of the guns’

Maharajpoor Star 1843 (Capt. Fitz. Coddington H.M. 40TH Regt.) reverse fitted with replacement silver straight bar and eyelet suspension, very fine £1200-1400

Fitz-Herbert Coddington was the 3rd son of Nicholas Coddington of Oldbridge, County Meath. He was commissioned Ensign, 40th Foot, in September 1825. He advanced to Captain in December 1832, and was second in command of the Regiment at the start of the battle of Maharajpoor, 29 December 1843. At the later he was severely wounded, had a horse shot from under him, and commanded the Regiment after Major Stopford had been wounded. Coddington was mentioned in General Sir Hugh Gough’s despatch (London Gazette 8 March 1844) for the battle thus:

‘In conformity with the previous instructions, Major-General Valiant, supported by the 3rd cavalry brigade, moved on the right of the enemy’s position at Chonda. During the advance, Major-General Valiant had to take, in succession, three strong intrenched positions, where the enemy defended their guns with frantic desperation; Her Majesty’s 40th regiment losing two successive commanding officers, Major Stopford and Captain Coddington, who fell wounded at the very muzzles of the guns, and capturing four regimental standards. This corps was ably and nobly supported by the 2nd grenadiers, who captured two regimental standards, and by the 16th grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonels Hamilton and Maclaren; too much praise cannot be given to these three regiments..... Major-General Valiant has also strongly brought to my notice the conduct of... Captain Coddington...’

Major-General Valiant adds further detail to the action, in a letter written to his son-in-law (published in the Regimental History), from Camp Gwalior, 18 January 1844:

‘I was ordered to attack it, but the moment I commenced my march a tremendous fire opened on us from a battery about one thousand six hundred yards in our front, on the south-east side of Maharajpore [sic], and also the guns from the same side of that village. When I received an order to take them we did so in most gallant style, one after another; but bear in mind that we had to march in the face of guns at all these batteries under a fire, first of large, then of smaller shot as we neared them - Grape, Canister, and Chain. Every battery had at least two battalions of Scindah’s regular troops; in Maharajpore they had seven. Poor Colonel Saunders, secretary to the governor-general, a volunteer, was killed close to me at the last battery I took. The 40th had eight officers wounded, all doing well, and one hundred and seventy-four men killed and wounded; the 16th Native Infantry had one hundred and eighty-four killed and wounded; 2nd Regiment, forty-two killed and wounded; sappers and miners, one killed and one wounded; in all, four hundred and ten killed and wounded. Stopford and Coddington, in command of the 40th, one after another severely wounded.’

Coddington was made Brevet Major for his gallant service at Maharajpoor, in April 1844. He succeeded to a regimental majority at the death of Sir Thomas valiant in 1845, and retired from service. He died at Brighton in April 1853.

Another Maharajpoor Star is known to the recipient.