About the product

Sutlej 2 Bars 80th Regt Australia

Sutlej Medal 1846, reverse Moodkee, 2 bars, Ferozeshuhur, Sobaron, Thomas Kemp, 80th Regt, Veteran of 3 Battles in the Sikh War, Storming of Rangoon in Burma and “Red Coat” in NSW Australia.

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SKU: J7378 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Nearly Very Fine

Description

Sutlej Medal 1846, reverse Moodkee, 2 bars, Ferozeshuhur, Sobaron, Thomas Kemp, 80th Regt, Veteran of 3 Battles in the Sikh War, Storming of Rangoon in Burma and “Red Coat” in NSW Australia.

 

Officially impressed: “Thomas Kemp 80th Regt”

 

Contact marking and general wear consistent with a maximum length 21 year career.

 

Thomas Kemp was born circa 1823 in St Ives, Huntingdonshire. Attested for service with the 80th (Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot on 14th October 1842.

 

Thomas Kemp served for 21 years and 27 days, of which 10 years were overseas.
He was in New South Wales, Australia for 1 year 127 days and spent 9 Years 203 Days in the “East Indies”

 

Statement of his services show “They have been very Good.
In possession of 3 good conduct badges, in possession of a medal for the Sutlej with bars for Sobraon and Ferozeshuhur, also Burmah Medal 1852 and 1853”
(Burmah Medal refers to the Indian General Service Medal 1854 with bar Pegu.)

 

He has been 4 times entered into the Regimental Defaulters Book and has been twice tried by Court Martial.”

 

The 80th Foot spent a long time in Australia, present between 1836 until 1845 when they were posted to Agra and then to fight in the 1st Sikh (Sutlej) War.

 

He would have been placed on a boat to Australia soon after his enlistment at the time they been escorting convicts back and forth, during 1842-45 there was a Detachment posted to New Zealand and the others were in Parramatta with the New South Wales Detachments.

 

Throughout his long Army career he had been promoted to Corporal a few times, however he would sometimes slip and be demoted back to Private.
During his last 5 years of service from 8th April 1858 until 27th November 1863 he was back as a Corporal, which he was discharged as following his completion of his 21 years terms of service.

 

He is also noted as receiving some of the prize money for the Pegu campaign where the 80th Regiment gallantry stormed the Shwe-Dagon Pagoda in Rangoon during 1852.