Description
A 33rd (The Duke of Wellington’s) Regiment Battle of the Alma Casualty Medal awarded to Private William Greenwood who was Wounded in the Head and left Shoulder by Shell Splinters, in the attack on the Great Redoubt, comprising Crimea Medal, 1854-55, two clasps, Alma, Sebastopol, (Private Wm Greenwood 33rd Foot) engraved naming, very lightly toned very fine
Owing to its links with Wellington, the title 33rd (The Duke of Wellington’s) Regiment was granted to the 33rd, on 18 June 1853 (the 38th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo) by Queen Victoria, in honour of the 1st Duke of Wellington, who had died on 14 September the previous year.
At the Battle of Alma, bitter fighting took place, with the 33rd being part of the Light Division under the command of Sir George Brown. The British advanced up the slope towards the Russian positions. The British formations became intermingled, turning into a mass of soldiers, rather than the professional, neat formations used on parade. As they charged, numerous Russian troops came down the slope to meet them. The British halted and fired, causing so many casualties the Russians were forced to retreat. The British line reorganised and moved up the slope towards the Great Redoubt, with the 33rd being the first to attack the defence works. The 33rd suffered heavy casualties: 7 officers and 232 men in the hand-to-hand combat that ensued.
Willaim Edwards attested for the 33rd Regiment at York on the 3rd of May 1840 at the age of 17 years 11 months stating that he had been born in Bradford and was a Wool Comber. During the 1840s he was Court Martialled 3 times for absence and spent some time in solitary confinement. His papers state that he was wounded by Shell Splinters in November 1854 with wounds to his head and left shoulder. His name appears on the Crimea Medal Roll annotated “Gone Home 29th November 1856.
Sold with Copy Service Papers and Medal Roll In the Crimea Medal Roll, there are other Will Greenwood’s, but only one man by that name in 33rd Foot (others in 56th Foot).
