The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The Punjab campaign medal to Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Brookes, who was killed in action whilst commanding the 24th Foot at the battle of Chilianwala in 1849, a veteran of the Peninsula Wars during which he was wounded on three occasions whilst serving with the 9th Foot

Punjab 1848-49, 1 clasp, Chilianwala (Lieut. Col. R. Brookes, 24th Foot) together with a fine portrait miniature of the recipient as a Major in the 69th Foot by James Warren Childe, circa 1826, on paper, 8x6 cm, in a contemporary gilt frame with fragile label pasted to the reverse which reads ‘Colonel Robert Brookes born June 24th 1792 died Jan 13th 1849 married Miss Mary Jane Burdett of Cheltenham June 24th 1848’, good very fine £6000-8000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Robert Brookes was born at Ross on Wye on 24 June 1792, fourth son of William Philpott and Anne Brookes. He entered the service in 1809 as an Ensign in the South Gloucester Militia, from which he transferred to the regular forces and was appointed an Ensign in the 9th Foot on 16 May 1811. He joined the 1st Battalion in Portugal in July 1811, and thereafter served with it in the Peninsular until the end of the war. He was present at the siege of Badajoz, the battle of Salamanca, the occupation of Madrid, covering of the siege of Burgos, the retreat from that place, the action at Villa Muriel and the retirement into Portugal.



In the spring of 1813, he advanced with the 9th Foot into Spain, and was present at Asma on 18 June, and the battle of Vittoria on the 21st June. He served as an Acting Engineer during the siege of St Sebastian in August and September 1813, and was a volunteer at the night attack and capture of the island of Santa Clara, by a combined force of seamen and troops, on the 26th August 1813, under the command of Captain Cameron, 9th Foot, and Captain Henderson, Royal Engineers. Brookes was wounded at Santa Clara and officially noticed in Orders for his services there and at St Sebastian. He was next present at the crossing of the Bidassoa and the storming of the heights of Croix de Bouquets on 7 October 1813, where he was again wounded whilst commanding the light company of the 9th Foot. He commanded a company of his regiment in the battles of the Nivelle and the Nive, and at the blockade of Bayonne. He was again slightly wounded at the Nive on the 10th December 1814.

On the termination of the Peninsula war, Brookes proceeded to North America with the force that embarked from Bordeaux, and served there until the end of the American war in June 1815. He arrived too late to take part in the Waterloo campaign but served with the army of occupation in France from September 1815 until April 1817, and again from October 1817 until October 1818. Between 1819 and 1825, he served with his regiment in the West Indies. In August 1825 he was promoted to Captain, unattached, and one year later exchanged into the 69th Foot, becoming Major in 1831. He served with the 69th in the West Indies and Demerara 1831-38, and in North America 1839-42. He returned home in September 1842 and was gazetted to an unattached Lieutenant Colonelcy in April 1846, and exchanged into the 24th Foot.

Brookes accompanied the 24th Foot to India in September 1846 but returned home on leave in the spring of 1848. In November 1848 he returned to India and at once pushed on from Calcutta to join his regiment then forming part of the army of the Punjab. He joined the regiment in camp at Helan, beyond the Chenab, on 16 December, command of the regiment having devolved upon him with the appointment of Pennycuick to the command of the brigade of which the 24th formed part.

On the 13th January 1849, while gallantly leading on the 24th Foot in the sanguinary battle of Chilianwala, this grand old Peninsula veteran fell amongst the Sikh guns at the moment that they were carried in the first rushing charge of his regiment. In a report written two days later, Captain Blachford, H.M.’s 24th, wrote ‘... I heard a cheer, and on looking towards the regiment, saw Colonel Brookes in front of the colours, waving his sword over his head.’ As the regiment neared the enemy they were received by a ‘tremendous discharge of grape and musketry. But still the regiment never for an instant wavered, but pressed forward, taking the guns and position at the bayonet’s point, without firing a shot... Colonel Brookes was at this time seen by Lieutenant Lutman, in engagement with three men armed with tulwars, who rushed out from under the guns. They were all bayonetted by men of the Grenadiers. Soon afterwards Colonel Brookes was seen to fall close to the guns.’

During his brief run home Colonel Brookes was married at Hove, Sussex, on his birthday, the 24th June 1848, to Mary Jane, daughter of Arthur Burdett. It is probable that during this period of leave, Colonel Brookes put in his application for the Peninsula War Medal which had been authorised the year before, but whether he lived to see his medal with clasps for Salamanca, Vittoria, St Sebastian, Nivelle, and Nive, is not known. Mrs Brookes accompanied her husband to India, and returned home after his death. She died in July 1895, having survived him more than forty six years, and in her will requested that ‘the medals of my late husband Lt-Colonel Robert Brookes may be given to his niece Mrs Maria Gwynn.’

Refs: WO 25/798; FO 248/1539; Soldiers of the Raj (De Rhé-Philipe); Hart’s Army List