THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL TO LIEUTENANT G.H. BRIDGES, 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN LIGHT INFANTRY (THE POST 1860 103RD ROYAL BOMBAY FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), WHO SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE AS A CAPTAIN IN THE 98TH FOOT

THE INDIAN MUTINY MEDAL TO LIEUTENANT G.H. BRIDGES, 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN LIGHT INFANTRY (THE POST 1860 103RD ROYAL BOMBAY FUSILIERS AND POST 1880 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), WHO SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE AS A CAPTAIN IN THE 98TH FOOT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT) AND IS RECORDED AS HAVING AT ONE TIME BEEN ADC TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND. Indian Mutiny Medal, no clasp (officially named late issue, engraved with the style of naming seen on other late issue Indian Mutiny Medals of the period, in serifed block capitals: LIEUT. G.H. BRIDGES. I EURO BOMBAY FUS.). Claw tightened, otherwise Almost Extremely Fine.

Medal accompanied by biographical details, pension records (East India Company and 98th Foot), copied transcript medal roll, confirming Indian Mutiny Medal without clasp, extract 1891 census and extracts 1868 and 1869 Hart’s Army List, which confirm that, during the Indian Mutiny, Bridges “was engaged in suppressing the mutiny of the 66nd and 69th Bengal N.I. and Horse Artillery at Mooltan on 31st August 1858” (awarded Indian Mutiny Medal without clasp).

George Henry Bridges (1840-1924) was born in Bristol, Somerset, England (biographical sketch on Ancestry incorrectly states “Somerst, Massachusetts, USA”). He was first commissioned Ensign (2nd Lieutenant), 1st Bombay European Regiment, 4th September 1857 and promoted Lieutenant, 1st January 1862 and Captain, 4th November 1867. Bridges transferred to the 98th Foot with the rank of Captain, 3rd June 1868 and retired on half pay on 14th January 1871. He is recorded in the 1891 census as a 51 year old married East India Merchant, resident in Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire, with his wife, a daughter, two sons and four servants.

The Indian Mutiny Medal was instituted by General Orders 363 of 1858 and 733 of 1859 for award to troops who had seen active service in operations during the Indian Mutiny against the mutineers. However, the scope of the award of the medal was widened by General Order 771 of 1868, which extended the award of the medal to include anyone (including civilians) who had borne arms during the mutiny or been under fire. Since Bridges did not see active service during any of the operations against the mutineers, he did not initially qualify for a medal on the basis of the General Orders of 1858 and 1859. But since he had borne arms during the mutiny and taken part in the suppression of the mutineers at Mooltan on 31 August 1858 he qualified for a late issue medal as a result of General Order 771 of 1868, and as a result made a late claim and was issued a medal with late issue engraved naming.

Bridges saw service as an Ensign during the Indian Mutiny. He was a Lieutenant (the rank engraved on his Indian Mutiny Medal) from 1862 to 1867, indicating that his late claim for a medal was probably made during that period, with the medal being issued after the passing of the 1868 General Order.

There is a note on Captain Bridges’ 98th Foot pension record to the effect that at one time he was ADC to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the medal thus perhaps worthy of further research in that regard.