Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Waterloo 1815 (John Ewing, 23rd Reg. Light Dragoons.) fitted with original steel clip and later ring suspension, nearly extremely fine £1600-1800

John Ewing enlisted into the 23rd Light Dragoons on 25 June 1806, having been recruited in Ireland ‘on the march to Headquarters’ and joined the regiment at Clonmel on 11 July 1806, as part of Captain James Allen’s Troop. In 1809, he embarked with the regiment for Portugal, arriving at Lisbon on 23 June. Joining up with the British army under General Sir Arthur Wellesley, the regiment fought its first battle at Talavera on 27-28 July. On the afternoon of 28 July, the regiment, while advancing on the French, lost control and, charging much too fast, failed to see a dry watercourse in front of it into which scores of men and horses plunged. The regiment lost 102 killed and wounded, and 105 men taken prisoner, including Private John Ewing.

Ewing remained a prisoner of the French until his release and return to the regiment at Manchester on 3 July 1814. The regiment remained in England until April 1815, when it was ordered to embark for Ostend to join Wellington’s army in Belgium. He was present at the battle of Waterloo in Captain Thomas Gerrard’s No. 1 Troop. The 23rd Light Dragoons returned to England December 1815 and was based at Radipole Barracks where, on 7 February 1817, Ewing was discharged for insubordination. He does not appear to have lived long enough to have claimed the medal for Talavera.

Sold with copied pay and muster lists and full muster search.