PRE WW1 BRITISH INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL PTE HARDWICKE 17TH LANCERS “DEATH OR GLORY”

Offered is a Indian Mutiny Medal, impressed named GEO HARDWICKE, 17^TH LANCERS. Comes with copy of medal roll and research. In exceptionally good condition.

265 medals issued to 17^th Lancers, all without clasp. The medal roll shows Hardwicke was in the action on 29 December 1858 at Zeerapore, and subsequently at Baroda on 1 January 1859.

2 September 1857 the 17th Lancers received orders for India: just over a year after having returned from the Crimea. The regiment sailed from Queenstown 6 December in the S. S. Great Britain, stopping to refuel at Cape Verde Islands and the Cape of Good Hope, and arriving at Bombay on 17 December. Unlike the Crimean War they did not take their horses with them .

They disembarked and moved to Kirkee which they reached about Christmas Day. They were then split into 3 squadrons. We do not know which one Hardwick was in and some squadrons were more active during the conflict than others.

The 17th Lancers were directly involved in the campaign against Tantia Topi, by June 1858 though he was in retreat, but his pursuit lasted 9 months and covered a distance in excess of 1000 miles, 500 of which were covered in a single month. In September a force including 80 17th Lancers inflicted a defeat on him near Rajghur and later in a decisive battle at Sindwaho there were 90 Lancers, one of whom won a Victoria Cross.

At Zeerapore in December a spectacular charge by one of the previously unengaged Lancer squadrons, where 90 men attacked 4,000 rebels, brought the following description in the regimental history: `….onward they galloped; and then suddenly the pennons swept forward like a flash of light, every lance came down to the `engage`, and the 17th with a yell dashed to the charge. The rebels slackened pace, halted, and before the lances had reached them, broke and fled; the 17th plunging headlong among them, was swallowed up in a huge mass , and fairly vanished out of sight.

Presently they appeared again, every lance still busy and for 7 miles the chase and slaughter continued till men and horses could do no more.`

The medal roll shows Hardwicke was in the action on 29 December 1858 at Zeerapore, and subsequently at Baroda on 1 January 1859. By May 1859 the mutiny was over and the regiment went to quarters in Gwalior and one squadron was detached under Captain Taylor to Jhansi. The regimental history states:

"In both places the regiment suffered severely from sickness and lost many officers and men – the result of climate, bad accommodation, and the reaction after the campaign".