Medals to the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment from the Collection of Mr Donald Hall

The Crimea medal to Lieutenant Valentine Bennett, who was killed with the storming party in the attack on the Redan, 18 June 1855. CRIMEA 1854-55, 1 clasp, Alma (Lieut., 33rd Regt.) officially impressed naming, good very fine Ex Jack Wadey collection.

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment from the Collection of Mr Donald Hall.

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The storming party furnished by the Light Division was made up of detachments of the 33rd, the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers, and the 7th Fusiliers. A detachment of the 34th was added to this party during the night. Colonel Lysons of the 23rd was in command of other detachments who were to act as a support to the stormers. In the grey dawn of the morning, after the French were fairly engaged with the Malakoff, the storming party moved forward. Captain Basil Fanshawe, who had joined the 33rd only the night before, on arrival from England, wrote home later, and his letter is vivid and interesting as coming from one who took part in the assault. 'We had to cross, on leaving the trenches, 150 yards of open ground, exposed to a very heavy fire of grape-shot from the enemy ... Our loss, I regret to say, was very considerable, having had 50 men killed and wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Johnstone has lost his left arm, Mundy is hit in the leg with a bullet; Bennett, I am sorry to say, is killed; Quayle shot in the elbow and arm. Wickham is so hit in the foot that he is likely to be disabled for some time to come; Collings was stunned by a blow for a moment. I have had a bruise in the shoulder from a stone or spent ball which has made it stiff. The rest of our fellows have escaped unhurt. The loss our Division has sustained is frightful. The Rifle Brigade are almost annihilated! Out of 130 men, 35 only survive. The 23rd nearly cease to exist! Poor Sir John Campbell, in rushing out of the trenches, fell in the act of cheering on his men... It seems the general opinion we shall never take the place by assault, and therefore we are going to attack the Redan and Malakoff by sap.'