1854 India General Service Medal. Wright. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. From Farndon, Cheshire lived in Holt, Denbighshire.
£250.00
Availability: 1 in stock
Correctly named 934 Pte W Wright 1st Bn R W Fus
William was born in Farndon, Cheshire in 1858 to James and Annie.
We find the family in the 1871 Census living at 133 Crown Street in Holt, Denbighshire.
Aged 20 in 1878, William enlisted into the 23rd Regiment of Foot, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He served with the 1st Battalion. Prior to enlistment, William served with the Royal Denbigh Militia.
After a tour in Ireland the 1st Battalion embarked in 1880 for India, where it was to remain for the next sixteen years, two of which were spent on operations in Burma, including the capture of King Theebaw at Mandalay. In 1891 it was on the North West Frontier of India as part of the Hazarad Black Mountain Expedition. It returned to Britain in 1896 and was at Pembroke Dock in 1899 when war broke out in South Africa. The 2nd Battalion, following its return from Ashanti, was stationed in Gibraltar until 1880. After a short tour in Britain it arrived in Ireland in 1883 where it remained until 1892. In January 1899 it reached Hong Kong via Britain, Malta, and Crete.
In 1877 the Regiment acquired its first permanent base when the Depot was established at Wrexham. Four years later, under the major reforms instituted by Cardwell, the Regiment was reorganised into four battalions. The 1st and 2nd remained as line battalions, and the Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Rifle Militia, and the Royal Carnarvon Rifle Corps became the 3rd and 4th Battalions respectively. It ceased to be the “Twenty-third” and was henceforth known as The Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The fact that this title, rather than some less appropriate one, was approved was due in no small part to the good offices of Lord Powis, collateral descendant of the founder of the Regiment.
William was to serve for 9 months in Gibraltar in 1879 and later India from 1880 until 1888 when he served during the Third Burma War.
Entitled to just the one medal, William was to serve until 1888.
The medal has the clasp Burma 1885-7 and the naming is in running script. The medal has a modern replacement ribbon.
