An Attractive ARMY OF INDIA MEDAL (AVA)
To:
Pte J. LEDDY 44th Foot (East Essex Regt)
(John Leddy also fought at Waterloo in Captain Thomas Mackrell's Troop )

[BIOGRAPHY]
John Leddy was born in 1791 in the village of Castletara in Cavan County, Ireland. He was enlisted into the 44th Foot (East Essex Regt) at Wexford on 15th July 1812 at the age of 21 and served in Captain O'Neal's Company.

As was the case with many young soldiers of his time, he enlisted for 'Life' and in the event he served for a total of 14 years and 52 days being discharged in India as medically unfit on 4th September 1827.

He was suffering from Visceral Congestions, frequent bowl complaints and repeated attacks of intermittent fever. He was almost certainly suffering from malaria which he contacted at Ava during 1826 in the war in Burma. He was only 34 years old.

He served for 7 years 259 days as a private, 3 years 252 days as a corporal & 2 years 260 days as a sergeant. His service at Waterloo counted as 2 years. His army conduct is listed as "Good".

John was 5ft 7" tall, with Brown Hair, Grey Eyes, and a fresh complexion. He was a baker by trade and at the time of his discharge was living in Liverpool. John Leddy had been paid a pension of 1/- per day which ceased when he died on 9th April 1855, age 64.

[First Anglo-Burmese War]
The City of Arakan was captured by the regiment in March 1825 The regiment embarked for India in 1822 and was deployed to Burma for service in the First Anglo-Burmese War in early 1825. It formed part of an army which advanced up the River Irrawaddy to the Kingdom of Ava[34] and then, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Shelton, captured the city of Arakan in March 1825. After suffering many casualties from fever the regiment was withdrawn and returned to India in 1826.

[44th Foot in the Penninsular War & at Waterloo] The 2nd Battalion of the 44th had arrived in the Peninsula in 1810 and was present at Fuentes D'Onor, Badajoz and Salamanca. However, following the retreat from Burgos the Battalion was so depleted that it was returned to England.

John Leddy joined the regiment on 15th July 1812.

In 1814 disaster befell the battalion at the Seige of Bergen-op Zoom where, a very confused attack led to heavy casualties and 11 Serjeants, 3 drummers and 205 rank and file being captured, which as the unit only consisted of 300 men probably included John Leddy. Of the 3,950 men in the British force, it lost 2100 men killed, wounded and captured. They were however quickly released in The Peace that followed soon after, and 117 of these 205 survivors were present at Waterloo, including Joh Leddy.

At Waterloo the 44th were part of Pack's Brigade. Despite being one of the smallest units in the Allied line in 1815 with only 487 men they were further reduced to about half that number at Quatre Bras when they lost about 220 men in action.










A truly lovely high grade medal (Nice EF) to a man with excellent & rarely preserved papers which give his full history and who took part in and survived two major & early British military actions.

SOLD

DO YOU HAVE JOHN LEDDY'S WATERLOO MEDAL ??

IF SO....PLEASE CALL US ON: 01342-870926. Thank You .