Paul_1957

Veteran, He's on the MGS roll as a Lieut in the 23rd Foot entitled to a 2 clasp medal (Salamanca and Vittoria). Paul

As mentioned earlier in this thread your medal is not an official issue. Therefore, the question is was the medal made up to deceive collectors or was it Wall himself (or a relative) who obtained it and had it named up as you see it today. The chances are that we will never know for sure. If the medal was meant to deceive it would have been safer (for the faker) to use the rank/name as it appeared on the medal roll. It is interesting to speculate whether Wall lost his original official issue medal and the one you now hold was an unofficial replacement obtained later on. Wall was still serving in the army till at least the early 1840s so he needed to have a Waterloo medal to wear with his uniform. I have found the following reference to Wall's death which occurred on 12 May 1850 as reported in the Colburn's United Service Magazine for 1850: "May 12, at Tralee Barracks, aged 58, Captain John Quin Wall, late 89th Regiment, and Barrack-Master at Tralee." Paul

Hugh, Re regimental numbers. According to the 1992 publication by the Society of Genealogists titled "My Ancestor was in the British Army", regimental numbers were introduced into the British Army in the 1830s. Paul

Hugh, I've seen regimental numbers included on the Ghuznee 1839 and Cabul 1842 British campaign medals but these were often named up by the recipient so there is no consistency as to whether a regimental number was or was not included. Paul

I've just joined the Club and I noticed this topic while trawling through the older posts. Ensign J L Wall and Lieut John Quin Wall are the same person. In his early service he is recorded consistently as J L Wall in the Army Lists, London Gazette and Waterloo medal roll. The 1817 War Office Army List shows him as Lieut J L Wall on half pay of 40th Foot and gives his seniority as 19 July 1815. However, in the 1836 War Office Army List he is listed as Lieut John Quin Wall serving in the 98th Foot. The 1836 list gives his seniority date as 19 July 1815 and he is marked as having served at Waterloo. Moreover, in the medal roll for the Military General Service (MGS) Medal (awarded 1848) he is shown under the roll for the 40th Foot as Lieut J Q Wall entitled to a medal with 6 clasps (Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive Orthes and Toulouse). He is mentioned in the War Office Monthly Army List for November 1852 as having previously been a Captain in the 89th Regt. The MGS Medal roll additionally shows that Wall commenced his military career as a Volunteer in the 53rd Foot before being granted an Ensigncy in the 40th Foot. Paul