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Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 23

The Army of India Medal awarded to Private D. Kennedy, 65th Regiment of Foot, who received a certificate of Merit for gallantry during the storming of the Al-Qawasim stronghold of Luft in 1809

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Poona (D. Kennedy, 65th Foot.) short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, backstrap of clasp carriage neatly replaced, otherwise good very fine

Duncan Kennedy was born in Beleskie, Inverness, Scotland in 1782 and enlisted on 7 October 1801 at Glasgow, being posted to the 65th Regiment of Foot. Arriving with the Regiment on 7 December he was posted with them to India on 18 February 1804.

Whilst there they saw heavy action in India with the Second Anglo-Maratha War breaking out just before their arrival. They were posted to Bhurtpore and took part in the siege there in 1805 which failed to capture the fortress.

The end of the war saw the 65th ordered to join the Persian Gulf Campaign in 1809 under the command of General Sir Lionel Smith. The British did not have the numbers to destroy their enemy and as such launched a series of raids against the cities and fortresses of the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate led by the Al-Qawasim dynasty. This Emirate had played a leading role in the pirate raids against Anglo-Indian Shipping and negotiations to end this failed largely due to the presence of French diplomats in their courts.

British forces including the 65th seized the capital of Ras al-Khaimah after a sharp fight, burning the docks before moving onto Bander Lingah on the Persian side of the Straits of Hormuz. They then descended upon the fortress of Luft on 26 November. The force approached the port and landed unopposed, seeing this Smith believed the enemy to have fled and as such ordered his men to take the fort and reduce it. As they advanced however they discovered their mistake, coming under a heavy fire which caused heavy casualties. Despite this Smith rallied his men and led them to attack with support from the cannons of HMS Fury, by nightfall they had forced the garrison to surrender and the local Shiekh into exile. They suffered 70 casualties in the battle however Kennedy must have performed well, being cited for his bravery and earning a certificate of merit for gallantry from Smith.

He remained with the Regiment and saw action with them in the Third Anglo-Maratha War including the Battle of Poona, also called Kirkee, one of the last major field battles against the Marathas. The British victory in the war saw them again sent to the Persian Gulf for operations against pirates there and occupying Ras Al-Khaimah for several years. Finally they saw action during the Third expedition against the BanI Bu Ali tribe in 1821, taking Soor and decisively destroying the power of the tribe.

Kennedy was discharged on 7 February 1823 after 21 years of service of which 18 were in India. He died on 19 September 1868; sold together with copied service papers and a typed summary.

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Estimate
£2,000 to £2,400

Starting price
£1800