Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Field Officer’s Gold Medal awarded to General Hon. A. P. Upton, C.B., Grenadier Guards, Equerry to H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, Military Correspondent to the Bavarian Army in 1815

Field Officer’s Small Gold Medal, for Vittoria, 1 clasp, Nive (Lieut. Colonel The Honble. A. Upton) complete with gold three-pronged ribbon buckle and original ribbon, extremely fine £5000-7000

See colour plate.

The Honourable Arthur Percy Upton was appointed Ensign in the Grenadier Guards on 28 April 1793, and joined the Duke of York’s army in Holland, in November 1794, in which he served the ensuing winter campaign, and returned to England with the army in May 1795. He became Captain in December 1795 and, in 1799, he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Sir Ralph Abercromby, and was present at the battle of the 27th August on the landing near the Helder, as also at those of the 10th September, 2nd and 6th October. Appointed Assistant Quarter-Master-General to the army under Lord Chatham in 1809, he landed at Walcheren on 27th July with the troops, and was present at the actions in which the enemy were driven into Flushing, and also at the siege of that place.

He served at Cadiz from April 1811 to August 1812, and with the Duke of Wellington’s army on the Quarter-Master-General’s staff, from September 1812 to the end of the war in 1814, including the retreat into Portugal, actions of San Munos and Osma, battles of Vittoria, action at Tolosa, passage of the Bidassoa, battle of the Nivelle, battles of the Nive on the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th December, passage of the Adour, action of St Etienne, investment of Bayonne, and repulse of the sortie. He has received the Gold Medal and one Clasp for the battles of Vittoria and the Nive; and the Silver War Medal with one clasp for Nivelle.

In 1815, Colonel Upton was employed as military correspondent with the Bavarian army, and was present with it in its various operations. In October 1816, he received Royal Licence to accept and wear the Insignia of a Knight of the Bavarian Order of Maximillian Joseph: ‘The Hon. Arthur Percy Upton, Colonel in The Army, a Brigadier-General in The Continent, and C.B., “in testimony of the approbation of His Majesty The King of Bavaria of the distinguished services rendered by him in the Field, while attached to the Bavarian Army in the last Campaign, particularly in the Action at the passage of The Saare, on the 23d of June, 1815.”

Upton became Lieutenant-General in 1837, and General in November 1851, at which time he held the appointment as Equerry to H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent.