Regimental Merit Medal 1826 -1841


The Standing Orders for the year 1831 give some details of the Regimental Merit Medal awarded for long service and good conduct to men of the 13th Light Infantry while they were in India. It was instituted by the CO, Lieut-Colonel Michael McCreagh. The medal was gold for 20 years service and silver for 7 and 14 years. The photo of an actual medal is taken from The Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research vol XLVII no. 189 published in Spring 1969. A very thorough description of the medal is written up by D C L Gosling who was the owner of four such medals while another 14 were held by the museum at Taunton.

The gold medals and two of the silver medals are hollow but the others are solid metal. The design has the Sphinx of Egypt with a bugle horn. The horn has AVA and MARTINIQUE inscribed. There is no mural crown because these medals were issued before 1842. The battle honour for Ava was authorised on 6 Dec 1825 so the medal dates after that. They were all manufactured in India and issued while the regiment served there. The example in the photo is a silver 14 Year medal which has a ribbon that is not the original. The colour of the ribbon issued with the medal is not really known. It was said to have been yellow with red edges but the existing examples have dark blue or dark blue and red ribbons. The reverse side of the medal is blank so that the recipient's name could be engraved.


Regimental Details | Medals


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by Stephen Luscombe