First Anglo Afghan War Medal, Ghuznee Cabul 1842 41st Foot

[Rusty Greaves]

I came across this unusual medal in the most recent Liverpool Medals catalogue. I know nothing about this medal, and did not readily find another appropriate thread to add the high-resolution photos and description to, so here is a new topic. 

 

 

The Liverpool Medals description reads: 

 

"Ghuznee Cabul 1842, Private James Saville, 41st Welch Regiment of Foot, very rare British Army example with this reverse. 

 

Officially engraved in correct style to the regiment: “JAs SAVILLE, 41st REGt”

 

Fitted with original steel, now slightly rusted clip and bar suspension.

 

Provenance, Sold in DNW on 9th May 2018 for £1400+ (About £1800 all in) and sometime sold by Cultman Collectables for £1585.

 

This “Ghuznee Cabul” type features a uniquely designed reverse compared to the other issues of the medal.

 

It was only issued to 360 European and 1163 Indian Recipients.

 

The only British Army units to receive this variety was the 41st Foot, issued 105 medals and the 40th Foot, issued 3 medals, the remainder of the 360 Europeans serving with the Honourable East India Company’s Indian Army.

 

Private James Saville of the 41st Foot, served with the service number 1535, he is first recorded on the 1841 Army Index as “On Route to India” in 1841 as part of a draft for the 41st Foot.

 

Their many battles fought and services in the war are recounted in great detail in the book “A History of the services of the 41st (The Welch) Regiment (Now 1st Battalion the Welch Regiment) from its Formation in 1719 to 1895” written by David Alexander Napier Lomax in 1899.

 

During the 1842, the 41st Foot, aka the Welch Regiment, as they were known since 1881, were deployed from India to Afghanistan to fight in the first Anglo-Afghan War.

 

The 41st became part of the so called “Avenging Army” or “Army of Retribution” who were tasked with getting revenge for the massacred troops who fell in the November 1841 retreat from Kabul through the Khyber Pass, in which the enemy killed many men, women and children.

 

The Avenging Army arrived to take part in a full scale invasion of Afghanistan in March 1842."

[Megan]

Yes, a nice piece... of the various types of the First Afghan War Medal, the reverse is unique in that the two battle names are in separate wreaths instead of a single one containing however names that type covers.