GUNNER J. McCARTER, 3RD TROOP, BOMBAY HORSE ARTILLERY BRIGADE, 1ST BOMBAY REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY. Punjab Medal 1848-49, 2 clasps, Goojerat, Mooltan

GUNNER J. McCARTER, 3RD TROOP, BOMBAY HORSE ARTILLERY BRIGADE, 1ST BOMBAY REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY. Punjab Medal 1848-49, 2 clasps, Goojerat, Mooltan (officially impressed: GUNNER JAMES McCARTER 3rd. TROOP BRIGADE H. ARTy.) Attractively toned, Good Very Fine or perhaps a little better and rare to the Bombay Horse Artillery, No. 3 Troop being the only troop from the brigade present during the Punjab campaign.

Medal accompanied by 4 pages of copied discharge papers.

James McCarter was born in the parish of Tamlet, Moneymore, Co. Tyrone. He enlisted into the Bombay Artillery as a Gunner, at Hereford, on 26/3/1844. At time of enlistment he was 21 years of age and gave his trade as that of servant. After seeing service in the Punjab campaign McCarter was seriously injured as a result of a parade-ground accident in 1851. As a result of this injury, he was transferred to the non-effective list, joining the Ordnance Department as an Acting Laboratory Man on 29/11/1853 and was appointed Acting Storeman, Corporal, on 19/2/1856 and Acting Storeman, Sergeant, on 27/12/1856. McCarter was removed from the non-effective list on 11/7/1857 and re-appointed Gunner, before again being promoted Bombardier, 18/4/1859. He volunteered to transfer from the East India Company Army to the British Army on 21/3/1859 (5th Brigade, Royal Artillery) and was discharged at Hyderabad on 2/11/1861, suffering from “curvature of the spine and general disability, the effect of climate”. At the time of discharge McCarty was 31 years and 8 months old, and had total pensionable service of 19 years and 202 days (including 18 years and 363 days in India).

The examining doctor who discharged McCarter as unfit for further service noted on his discharge papers that “Gunner McCarter’s disability seems to have been caused by a severe injury received on parade in the early part of the year 1851, which I believe induced the curvature of the spine which now incapacitates him from further service.”

The Punjab Medal was McCarter’s sole medal entitlement.

No. 3 Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery was originally raised in 1824. In 1849 the Bombay Horse Artillery Brigade comprised four European troops, No. 3 Troop being the only one to see service during the Punjab campaign of 1846-49. Following McCarter’s discharge No. 3 Troop Bombay Horse Artillery transferred to the British army in 1862, when it became “C” Troop of the 4th Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery.