Description
Sutlej Medal 1845-6, for Aliwal, bar Sobraon, Private Mathew Procter, 53rd Regiment of Foot, the Shropshire Regiment aka KSLI
Officially impressed: “Mathew Procter, 53rd Regt”
Entitlement to the medal with reverse for service at Aliwal and clasp for Sobraon confirmed on the medal roll.
Casualty Roll for Sutlej War confirms medal entitlement and wounding on 10th February 1846.
Casualty Roll for Punjab War confirms medal without clasp and Death on 15th October 1848.
Service Number 1885 Private Mathew Procter, 53rd (Shropshire) Regt of Foot was Wounded in action during the penultimate battle of the Anglo Sikh War at Sobraon on 10th February 1846.
At the Battle of Sobraon, the 53rd Foot received approximately 131 casualties, of which about 7 were Killed in Action, 16 wounded and died of wounds along side about 108 men as wounded in action including Mathew.
Mathew survived his wounds from the battle and continued on with the regiment, he was with them at the outbreak of the Second Anglo Sikh War of 1848-9, at which time the 53rd were quartered in Lahore, shared with Sikh soldiers garrisoning the city.
The situation became increasingly uneasy as the war was declared on 17th September 1848, when the 53rd foot disbanded the Sikh forces in Lahore and occupied their positions.
At that time the 53rd Foot was also tasked with guarding the famous Koh-I-Noor Diamond, the “Mountain of Light”, following the end of the war, the Diamond was surrendered to Queen Victoria, and is now part of the Crown Jewels collection, remaining highly controversial.
However not long after the war was declared, Mathew died in service on 15th October 1848.
You can read further about the 53rd Foot in both the Anglo Sikh Wars in an article from the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum here:
https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/53rd-in-Sikh-Wars-1-2.pdf
