CORPORAL (LATER SERGEANT) JOHN McANALLY, 1ST MADRAS FUSILIERS (THE POST 1860 102ND ROYAL MADRAS FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 1ST BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS). Indian Mutiny Medal 1857-58, 1 clasp, Lucknow

CORPORAL (LATER SERGEANT) JOHN McANALLY, 1ST MADRAS FUSILIERS (THE POST 1860 102ND ROYAL MADRAS FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 1ST BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS). Indian Mutiny Medal 1857-58, 1 clasp, Lucknow (officially impressed: CORPORAL JOHN M’ANALLY 1st MADRAS FUSILIERS). Almost Extremely Fine.

A scarce example of an Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to a man who saw service during the mutiny with the 1st Madras Fusiliers, volunteered to transfer to the British Army following the disbandment of the East India Company’s European regiments, and whose discharge papers have survived.

Note abbreviated surname in naming details on medal, discharge papers give full surname as McAnally.

Medal accompanied by 4 pages copied discharge papers and extract 1881 census.

John McAnally enlisted as a Private into the East India Company Army on 27/9/1855 at Glasgow. At the time of enlistment McAnally stated that he was born in Glasgow, was 25 years of age and gave his trade as labourer. McAnally was promoted Corporal, 10/8/1859 and elected to transfer to the British Army in India on 19/7/1859, following the disbandment of the East India Company’s European regiments, and subsequently transferred to the British Army on 18/5/1861. McAnally was promoted Sergeant, 10/7/1862, was courtmartialed and reduced to Private on 23/8/1862, once again promoted Corporal, 4/12/1866 and Sergeant, 13/12/1867, reduced again to Private, 6/3/1868 and was finally discharged at Portsea Island, 3307 Private, on 20/1/1875, after 21 years and 130 days service with colours (21 years and 119 days pensionable service). In addition to service at home, McAnally also saw service in India for 14 years.

Discharge papers confirm the Indian Mutiny Medal with single clasp as McAnally’s sole medal entitlement.

McAnally is recorded in the 1881 census as a 50 year old army pensioner employed as a brick maker and resident at Portsea, Hampshire, with his 60 year old wife Rebecca, a son and a daughter. At the time of this census return McAnally stated that he was born in Antrim, Ireland.

During the disbandment of the East India Company’s European regiments the men serving in those regiments were given the option of transferring to the British Army. The Regimental History of the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers records that this offer did not meet with a particularly favourable reception from many of the men of the 1st Madras Fusiliers, dissent being shown during a parade at Bangalore on 24/5/1859. Subsequently 298 men from the regiment opted to be discharged, with the result that only 56 Sergeants, 46 Corporals, 40 Drummers and 430 Privates transferred directly to the British Army (though some men subsequently re-enlisted into the British Army after returning to the UK).