Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A ‘Diehards’ Peninsular War medal to Sergeant Charles Langton, 57th Foot

Military General Service 1793-1814, 8 clasps, Busaco, Albuhera, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse (C. Langton, Serjt. 57th Foot) light scratches to obverse and minor edge bruising, otherwise good very fine £2500-3000

Ex Glendining March 1929, £11/15/- to Mackenzie

Langton was one of only 8 sergeants of the 57th to get the clasp for Albuhera, and the only sergeant to get the maximum entitlement of 8 clasps, for which there were only 8 claimants

During the early part of its service in the Peninsula, the Regiment, which contained a number of turbulent characters in its ranks, received the nickname of the “Steelbacks”, from the amount of flogging administered to its men and the way they bore their punishment; but, following its famous part at the battle of Albuhera in May 1811, they became known as the “Die Hards”, their Colonel having called out on being carried wounded from the battlefield, “Die Hard, 57th! Die Hard!”

And so they did, suffering terrible casualties in a close range fire-fight perhaps never equalled in military history - thus from an original strength of 31 officers and 616 men, two officers and 87 men were killed, and 21 officers and 318 men wounded. Marshal Beresford, not normally noted for his eloquence, paid this magnificent tribute to the British infantry under his command: “It is impossible by any description to do justice to the distinguished gallantry of the troops; but every individual nobly did his duty; and it is observed that our dead, particularly in the 57th Regiment, were lying as they fought, in ranks, and every wound was in front

Charles Langton was born at Dorking, Surrey, and enlisted in Hampshire on 25 April 1804, aged 18 years, for unlimited service. He served as a Private until about August 1811 when he was promoted to Corporal, no doubt in light of the devastating casualties he witnessed at Albuhera earlier that May. He became a Sergeant in about November 1820 and was discharged at Chatham on 12 September 1825, in consequence of long service and ‘the embarkation of the Corps for New South Wales.’ Admitted as an out-pensioner to Chelsea Hospital on 12 October 1825, resident in South London, he died on 23 March 1856

Sold with copy discharge papers and Chelsea Pension register entries.