PRIVATE MARTIN CONNOR, 21ST (ROYAL NORTH BRITISH) FUSILIERS (THE POST 1880 ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS). Crimea Medal, 1 clasp, Sebastopol

THE CRIMEA MEDAL TO PRIVATE MARTIN CONNOR, 21ST FOOT (ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS – THE POST 1880 ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS) WHO DESERTED FOLLOWING THE OUTBREAK OF THE CRIMEAN WAR, WAS COURT-MARTIALED AND IMPRISONED IN AUGUST 1854, AND DID NOT SEE ACTIVE SERVICE WITH HIS REGIMENT UNTIL AFTER THE BATTLES OF ALMA, BALAKLAVA AND INKERMAN, WITH THE RESULT THAT HE ONLY RECEIVED THE CRIMEA MEDAL WITH SEBASTOPOL CLASP.. Crimea Medal, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (regimentally impressed naming, impressed in serifed block capitals: 24(5)0 PTE. MARTIN CONNOR 21st. R. N. B. FUSILIERS.. Contact marks to rim at 9 o’clock, partially obscuring naming details, as indicated (the “5” in regimental number indistinct) and scattered surface contact marks, otherwise Very Fine.

Medal accompanied by 4 pages of copied service papers. Martin Connor was born in the parish of Milton Malbay, county Clare, Ireland, in 1829 and enlisted into the 21st Foot at Limerick on 24/1/1848. At the time of enlistment Connor was 21 years old and gave his trade as labourer. Connor never rose above the rank of Private and was eventually discharged at Shorncliffe Camp on 22/3/1869, after 21 years and 6 days service with the colours. In addition to seeing service at home and in the Crimea, Connor also saw service overseas in Malta and the West Indies. Service papers confirm Crimea Medal with Sebastopol clasp only, and that Connor was also awarded the Turkish Crimea Medal. However, whilst his conduct at the time of discharge was described as having been “very good”, Connor was not awarded an LSGC Medal due to his having been once entered in the Regimental Defaulters Book and additionally once tried by court martial. Connor deserted on 15/8/1854, during the period between the outbreak of the Crimean War in March 1854 and the landing of British troops in the Crimea in September 1854, and after being tried by court martial was sentenced to 42 days imprisonment, and as a result would have been released from confinement just before, or just after, the 21st Foot landed in the Crimea (the 21st embarked for the Crimea in August 1854, landing there in September 1854.

At the time of discharge Connor gave his intended place of residence as Miltown, county Clare.