Description
India General Service Medal 1854, bar Umbeyla, 616 Private John Goseworthy, 1st Bn 7th Foot, the Royal Fusiliers.
Officially impressed: “616 J. Goseworthy 1st Bn 7th Foot”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
John Goseworthy, was born in Honiton, Devon, during 1835.
He first enlisted into the 8th (Liverpool) Regiment at Exeter on 30th December 1854.
He would go on to see a long career lasting 18 years, transferring over to the 7th Fusiliers after the India Mutiny.
Eventually discharged “being found unfit for further service” on 20th March 1873.
“His conduct has been VERY GOOD and he is in possession of 4 good conduct badges, Indian Mutiny Medal and Medal for the North West Frontier of India with clasp for Umbeyla.”
After arriving in India, he first took part in the Indian Mutiny with the 8th Foot, earning the medal for his service.
Afterwards he volunteered to join the 1/7th Royal Fusiliers joining them on 20th February 1860.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambela_campaign#
During the Umbeyla or “Ambela” Campaign of 1863, the British Army under Neville Bowles Chamberlain consisted of 6000 Soldiers against 15,000 from the Swati Tribe, Buernwal Tribe and Yusufzai Tribes, under Saidu Baba, Sultan Muhammad Khan and Sardar Darqiz Khan.
Ambela was a buffer zone between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the North West Frontier of British India, the enemy being recounted as “The Hindustani Fanatics at Malka, a Colony of malcontents or bigoted Muslims from Hindustan”
The campaign would be rife with British Casualties, out of 6000 men, about 1000 became casualties.
He remained with the regiment until his discharge on 25th March 1873.
