LINK WITH PAST

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 241, 25 July 1935, Page 9

LINK WITH PAST

NAPOLEONIC WARS. A SOLDIER’S MEDALS. (Special to the “Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, July 24. Two interesting links with the Napoleonic Wars are in the possession of Mr E. Mathers, of Wellington, in the shape of the Peninsular War Medal and the Waterloo Medal, which were awarded to his great-grandfather, Mr Thomas Hillier. Tljkomas Hillier enlisted in the 40th Regiment of Foot on May 5, 1805, as a private. He served through the Peninsular War as a corporal, and the clasps attached to the medal hear’ the names of the ten battles in which ho took part—Rolica, Vimiera, Talavera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Vittoria, the Pyrenees', Niuelle, Nive, Orthcz, and Toulouse. In the battle of Waterloo he held the rank of sergeant, and the maroon scarf he wore at the time is in the possession of Mr Mathers. In 1821 he was apparently discharged, and his record hears witness to “sixteen years and 209 days” of faithful service, but in 1836 he was appointed staff-sergeant. _ The medals are of solid silver. Tlie Peninsular War Medal was not issued until 1848, when most of those, who had fought in the war were dead, but the Waterloo Medal, bearing the date of the battle, June 18, 1815, was struck soon after tlie battle had been won. Round the edge of each medal, of which the detail is remarkably clear, is inscribed: “Thos. Hillier, Ist Battalion 40th Regiment Foot.”