British medal in 1857 sold for £228,000
London, July 25: The Raj nostalgia is selling strongly in Britain as medals awarded to a British hero for bravery during the 1857 First War for Indian Independence, was sold for £228,000.
Lieutenant Nowell Salmon, who rose to become an admiral, was awarded Victoria Cross for the assault on the Shah Nujjiff Mosque in Lucknow in November 1857. The sale by Spink included Salmon’s VC, Order of the Bath, and Indian Mutiny Medals.
The British troops wanted to take over the mosque, but were unable to force their way in and a sharpshooter was successfully access to the 20-feet-high wall of the mosque by climbing a nearby tree.
“The soldiers could not force their way in and were being decimated by the sharpshooter posted on the mosque wall.
A neighbouring tree commanded his hiding-place, but the attempt to climb it was fatal to several. Salmon, however, succeeded, and from it killed the sepoy,” according to the Victoria Cross citation awarded to Salmon.
Salmon, who was shot and severely wounded in the thigh by a musket ball in the campaign, was mentioned in Sir William Peel’s final despatch to London of March 31, 1858.
“Lieutenant Nowell Salmon — An excellent officer, distinguished himself in the Shannon’s Brigade at the relief of Lucknow, was severely wounded, and named for the Victoria Cross. Recommended for promotion,” the despatch said.
Salmon was presented with his Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria at the Buckingham Palace on June 8, 1859.
The assault on Lucknow on November 16, 1857 led to 23 Victoria Crosses being awarded for bravery on that single day including one for Seaman William Hall, the first black man to receive the Victoria Cross.
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