Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of four miniature dress medals attributed to Major E. J. Ward-Ashton, Royal Artillery, who was recommended for the Victoria Cross

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, silver, gold and enamel; Sardinia, Kingdom, Al Valore Militare, silver; Ottoman Empire, Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue, mounted as worn from a ‘quadruple’ top silver riband buckle with gold retaining pin, light pitting to first and minor enamel damage to Crescent suspension on second, generally very fine and better (4) £200-£240

Edward John Ward-Ashton was born with the surname Ward on 29 October 1836 and joined the Royal Artillery as a Gentleman Cadet on 18 November 1850. He became 2nd Lieutenant on 14 August 1854, and 1st Lieutenant on 28 November the same year. He served throughout the siege of Sebastopol and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 2 November 1855), for ‘displaying coolness and zeal’ in the trenches. He was also awarded the Sardinian silver medal for valour and the Fifth Class of the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie. According to Royal Artillery records he was also recommended for the Victoria Cross for his gallantry on the first Assault on the Grand Redan on 18 June 1855, and the French Legion of Honour for his conduct in trenches on 8 September 1855. He subsequently assumed the additional surname of Ashton and died of pleurisy at Woolwich on 1 March 1880.

Note: The recipient’s full sized awards were sold in these rooms in September 2000.