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Auction: 15002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 167

A Regimentally Rare 'Medaille Militaire' Campaign Group of Three to 'Sharpshooter' Corporal D. McKenzie, 42nd Royal Highlanders, Wounded Before Sebastopol, 19.10.1854, And Was Commended For His Gallantry During the First Attack on the Grand Redan; Having Survived The Horrors of War He Was Murdered on the Streets of Edinburgh, 1866
Crimea 1854-56, two clasps, Alma, Sebastopol, (Donald M'Kenzie, 42nd. Regt.), officially impressed; France, Second Empire, Medaille Militaire, silver-gilt and enamel; Turkish Crimea, British die, unnamed as issued, pierced with ring suspension, edge bruising to first, good very fine, mounted in a glazed display frame together with a photographic image of the recipient (3)

1150 Corporal Donald McKenzie, born Edinburgh, December 1822; enlisted in the Royal Highlanders, April 1838; served with the Royal Highlanders in the Crimea and 'volunteered as a sharpshooter at the commencement of the siege of Sebastopol. He was employed on that duty until he was wounded, 19.10.1854, and was highly spoken of by Captain Cameron, Grenadier Guards, and Lieutenant Cumming, 79th Highlanders, the officers in charge of the party. On the night of the 18th June 1855, during a sortie, was distinguished for his good conduct in encouraging the young soldiers, and by his example giving them confidence. The next morning he volunteered to go towards the old Russian trench from the third parallel, to bring in a missing comrade, supposed to be wounded'; subsequently served with the Regiment in India during the Mutiny (entitled to Medal with clasp for Lucknow); promoted Corporal, July 1858; discharged, July 1860, after 21 years and 360 days with the Colours.

Corporal McKenzie featured in one of the Regiment's most iconic photographs of the period- a group of Black Watch Heroes of the Crimean War, including Piper Muir, Private Glen, and Colour Sergeant Gardner, taken at Dover in 1856 by command of Queen Victoria; ten years later McKenzie was murdered in Edinburgh, June 1866.

One of only 8 Medaille Militaires awarded to the Royal Highlanders for the Crimea.

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Sold for
£1,900