Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Colour Sergeant J. Hutton, 93rd (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Foot, who served in ‘The Thin Red Line’ at the Battle of Balaklava and saw later service at the Relief of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny, and afterwards at Umbeyla

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Umbeyla (2184 Sergt J. Hutton, 93rd Highlanders); Army Meritorious Service Medal, E.VII.R. (Clr:-Serjt: J. Hutton. 93rd Foot) contact marks to IGS with top lugs clipped from clasp, good very fine, MSM extremely fine (2) £600-£800

James Hodgson Hutton was born in Bonaw, Argyllshire, in November, 1829. He enlisted into 93rd (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) at Glasgow, in November, 1847. Serving for 21 years until 1868 - and awarded his LSGC as a Colour Sergeant in 1867 - he was later recommended for the MSM in March 1898, when he had a clear Defaulters' Sheet. The following has been extracted from a copy of 79th News:

‘During his time with the Regiment he saw all the fighting in which the 93rd took part during his long service yet was never in hospital once, even when wounded at the assault on the Secunderabagh at the Relief of Lucknow - a remarkable record - for he was also a veteran of "The Thin Red Line". He was entitled to Queen's Crimea (Alma, Balaclava, Sebastopol), Indian Mutiny (Relief of Lucknow, Lucknow), IGSM 1854 (Umbeyla), LS & GC, MSM and Turkish Crimea. He was appointed Lance-Corporal. Indecision about re-enlisting after his ten year engagement probably cost him further promotion. However, tempted by a further spell in China he re-signed and was immediately promoted Corporal at Dover, becoming Lance Sergeant at Calcutta when the Battn. disembarked there for service in India. He became Sergeant during the Relief of Lucknow, the many casualties amongst NCOs giving him his promotion. He was finally promoted Colour-Sergeant of No. 7 Company (Captain Gordon-Alexander's) at Rawalpindi, in 1861. He remained in that rank until he returned home from Jhansi, for discharge, in November, 1868. He served a further five years with the Permanent Staff, 2nd Lanark Militia as Musketry Instructor and four more years with the Dumbartonshire Volunteers at Cardross. He then served in a number of positions of trust until failing eyesight caused him to retire from active employment. On replying to a question of his impressions on seeing the 93rd for the first time, on its return from Canada in 1848, Colour-Sergeant Hutton stated, "it was then the finest looking and best conducted Regiment in the Army, and was composed almost entirely of Highlanders, the exceptions being Lowland Scots, and over 600 men spoke Gaelic in the Regiment." His obituary in The Thin Red Line in 1906 regrets his loss of sight in his later years but states that, with the true courage, however, which enabled him to storm the Heights of Alma, endure the privations of the whole of the Crimea Campaign, and take a man's part in avenging the horrors of the Indian Mutiny, the old warrior bore himself with soldierly spirit to the last. He was a splendid type of the Highlanders who under Sir Colin Campbell made the name of the "Ninety-third" conspicuous for its gallantry in the campaigns of the Nineteenth century.’