Pair: Captain G. S. Newdick, 1st Madras Native Infantry

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Ensign G. S. Newdick. 1st. Regt. M.N.I.); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 copy clasp, Central India (Ensign. G. S. Newdick 1st. Madras. N.I.) contact marks, very fine (2) £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from a Mutiny Collection.

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Provenance: George McIlroy Collection.

George Shirley Newdick was born in Reigate, Surrey, the son of S. Newdick, Esq., late H.E.I.C. Maritime Service, and was commissioned Ensign on 10 June 1848. Posted to the 1st Madras Native Infantry, he served during the Second Burma War, and was present with Captain Wright at the evacuation of Beling on 7 April 1853, and of Kaiktolo and Hartietato the following day, receiving a severe contusion from a musket ball on the latter date.

Pegu, by W. F. B. Laurie, gives the following account:
‘A week before this news had reached us of a rather distressing nature, that the small garrison left at Beling had been attacked, and almost entirely cut off. The Beling garrison consisted of some 70 or 80 sepoys of the 1st Madras Native Infantry, under the command of Captain Wright and Ensign Newdick. Captain Wright’s detachment, on being attacked, for a considerable time resisted the assailants in the most gallant manner, but afterwards, on leaving their position, they were followed up and eventually surrounded by the enemy. Many sepoys were killed. They fought fearlessly and well, but were hardly a match on this occasion for the more numerous and athletic soldiers of Burma. At length, when about 15 miles from Sitang, our next military position; a friendly Burman pointed out the road by the river; so getting the wreck of his detachment together, now consisting of about 22 men, they all got into a boat, which was fortunately at hand, and reached Sitang.’

Promoted Lieutenant on 8 May 1855, Newdick served during the Great Sepoy Mutiny with the Saugor Field Division, 1857-58, and with the force under Major General Sir G. C. Whitlock in Bundlecund in 1859, and was present at the affair at Kubrai on 17 April 1858, the Battle of Banda on 19 April 1858, and the affair of Sheezheen under Lieutenant Colonel Oake.

Advanced Captain, Newdick was called before a Court of Enquiry assembled at Hooshungbad on 26 July 1864 to investigate the circumstances of a charge for being drunk on duty. Permitted to resign the service in order to avoid the Court Martial, he resigned his commission on 2 August 1864, and died at Llangollen, north Wales, on 23 March 1878.

Sold with copied research, including newspaper correspondence in which the recipient is accused of being a ‘spy and common informer’.