British Campaign, Long Service etc. Medals >
RESERVED - Crimea Medal 1854-56, (4) clasps to a Colour Sergeant, Coldstream Guards, killed defending Queen's Colour at Inkermann
RESERVED - Crimea Medal 1854-56, (4) clasps to a Colour Sergeant, Coldstream Guards, killed defending Queen's Colour at Inkermann
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Prod. Code:
3195
Crimea Medal 1854-56, (4) clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol
Color Sergt. Alexr. McLellan, Coldsm. Gds.
officially impressed naming in capitals,
minor hairlines, otherwise nearly extremely fine
Colour Sergeant Alexander McLellan was killed in action at Inkermann on 5 November 1854. He was a member of the Queen’s Colour Party and was killed in the fierce hand to hand fighting when the Guards Division were virtually surrounded by the Russians.
The Coldstream Guards, when they retired from the Two-gun Battery, leaving about 100 wounded behind, were maddened to perceive that the instant the enemy occupied the place they commenced massacring all the poor defenceless objects. The conduct of the Coldstream Guards should immortalize their name. They fought literally to the death. They went into action with 16 officers and about 400 men, and out of this small number had 8 officers killed, 5 wounded, and upwards of 200 rank and file killed and wounded. The Grenadiers and Fusiliers also performed prodigies. On the whole, the brigade of guards lost 13 officers killed, 15 wounded, and 580 rank and file, out of about 1,600 men engaged. The Coldstreams charged the enemy at the point of the bayonet eleven times. At each time the Russians crossed bayonets, and fought fiercely, but were slaughtered like sheep by our gallant fellows. The three battalions of Guards now barely mustered 1,000 effective men.
