A Collection of Napoleonic War Medals

Lieutenant Patterson O’Hara, 59th Foot, who was wounded at Vittoria, received two wounds at St Sebastian, and was severely wounded at Nive

Military General Service 1793-1814, 4 clasps, Vittoria, St. Sebastian, Nivelle, Nive (P. O’Hara, Lieut. 59th Foot) fitted with silver ribbon buckle, very fine £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Napoleonic War Medals.

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Patterson O’Hara was born in Louth, County Louth, in about 1785. He was appointed an Ensign in the Louth Militia on 8 November 1807, and volunteered, as Ensign, to the 59th Foot on 8 November 1810. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 2 September 1812 and served in the Peninsula from September 1812 until April 1814. O’Hara served at Cadiz for six months before sailing with the regiment to Lisbon and then taking part in the forced march to Lamengo, on the frontier with Spain. He was slightly wounded at Vittoria on 21 June 1813, and had two contusion wounds at St Sebastian on 31 August 1813. The first when he was buried by debris from the explosion of a French mine during the initial assault of the city by the storming party of the 59th Foot, at which time he was left for dead. He suffered a similar wound later in the day from a shell burst. He afterwards took part in the battle of Nivelle, and was severely wounded at Anglette, during the battles of the Nive, on 9 December 1813. Evacuated to England, he was subsequently granted an award equal to one year’s pay. He went to Flanders in 1815, where he was present at the battle of Waterloo, the storming of Cambrai, and the occupation of Paris. O’Hara was placed on half pay on 25 March 1816, ‘by request in consequence of wounds received and ill health contracted on service.’ He died in Dublin during 1850.