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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 666

(x) The rare Umbeyla 1863 D.C.M. awarded to Private R. Goorley, 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers), he had previously seen action during the Indian Mutiny where he was wounded by a shell on 8 June 1857; it was in the final - and bloody - action of the campaign at Conical Hill at Laloo on 15 December 1863 that he took two sword cuts to the left thigh and hand

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (R. Goorley 101st Regt,), contact marks, very fine

Just 16 D.C.Ms. awarded for Umbeyla.

Robert Goorley was born in circa 1831 in Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland and attested for the East India Company Service on 19 October 1850 (No. 428). He served as a Private with the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers) for 14 years between 1850 and 1864. He spent 12 years stationed in India and saw action during the Indian Mutiny where he was wounded by a shell on 8 June 1857. From 1861 he was stationed in Mooltan (Multan). From 1863, he participated in the Umbeyla (Ambela) Campaign, and it was for his service here that he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal where he was subjected to two sword cuts on the left thigh and one to the hand. Goorley was further entitled to "three good conduct badges...Burmah Medal 1 clasp, Indian Mutiny Medal, 2 clasps [Delhi and Lucknow]" (service records refers).

He was discharged from service at Netley on in November 1864 as he was found to be unfit for service. He intended to live in Westminster, London.

The Ambela Campaign of 1863 was one of many expeditions in the border area between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the North-West Frontier of British India against the 'fanatics' at Malka, a colony of malcontents in the Yusufzai country. A force led by Neville Bowles Chamberlain planned to destroy Malka. They set up an operational base in the Chamla Valley which could be reached via the Ambela Pass, but they were soon bogged down by a numerically superior local force, and were attacked by the Swati, Bunerwal and Hindustani tribesmen. Reinforcements drafted in by the local Commander-in-Chief eventually pursued a diplomatic resolution, they approached the Bunerwals and various Khans and leaders to accept peace and went on to burn a house in Malka with tribal permission and were conditioned to withdraw from the territory of Buner. The expedition broke the power of the 'fanatics' but resulted in the loss of 1,000 British casualties and an unknown number of Indian casualties.

The final action of the campaign was on 15 December, during which the 101st were to the fore. Their attack in two columns was made upon an enemy stronghold, a peak known as Conical Hill. The first column under the command of Colonel W. W. Turner consisted of the Hazara Mountain Train Battery, 7th Fusiliers, 3rd Punjabs, 4th Gurkhas, 23rd and 32nd Native Infantry. The second column under Lieutenant-Colonel A. T. Wilde consisted of the Peshawar Mountain Train Battery, 101st Regiment, Corps of Guides, 3rd Sikhs and 5th Gurkhas. Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Vaughan was left in charge of the camp with 2,900 men. The British attack was pressed with great energy, at the point of the bayonet Conical Hill was taken as was the village of Laloo beyond, the vigour of the attack completely overwhelming the tribesmen. British casualties were 16 killed and 67 wounded with an estimated 400 enemy tribesmen killed or wounded. During the advance:

‘Major G. C. Lambert, commanding the advance companies of the Regiment, had a very narrow escape. Being a little in advance of his men, he was surrounded by ten or twelve of the hill men, and would have been cut to pieces had not three or four of No. 1 Company rushed to his assistance and kept the enemy at bay till more men could get up. One of the men defending Major Lambert had no fewer than fourteen sword wounds: they were all clean cuts, and healed in three months time.’ (Regimental History refers)

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£15,000

Starting price
£1400