A good Officer’s mid-19th Century Indian campaigns group awarded to Lieutenant A. Paterson, 2nd European Regiment, later Colonel, 3rd Goorkha Regiment who would be present during the Punjab Campaign of 1848-1849 where he would take part in the action at Ramnuggur, the passage of Chenab, and the battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat as well as the pursuit of the Sikhs and Afghans under Major General Sir W. Gilbert before later serving in the Burmese War and taking part in the Bhootan Campaign during 1864-65. Returning to the UK on leave, he would miss the duration of the Indian Mutiny before travelling back to the sub-contintent where he would see service as a Staff Officer with the Kandahar column in the campaign in Afghanistan.
Group of 3: Punjab Medal 1848-1849, 2 Clasps: Goojerat, Chilianwala; (LIEUT. A. PATERSON. 2ND. EUR. REGT.) India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 2 Clasps: Pegu, Bhootan; (LIEUT. ALEXR. PATERSON. 2ND EUROPEAN BENGAL FUSRS.) Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880, no clasp; (COL. A. PATERSON. 3RD GOORKHA REGT.) Court-mounted for display.
Condition: court-mounted for display, minor contact wear in places, Good Very Fine
Alexander Paterson was born on 25th June 1825, the son of the late Mr. John Paterson of Merryflatts, County Lanarkshire.
He joined the Army in December 1843 and first saw active service in the Punjab Campaign of 1848-49 where he would take part in the action at Ramnuggur, the passage of Chenab, and the battles of Chilianwala and Goojerat as well as the pursuit of the Sikhs and Afghans under Major General Sir W. Gilbert. In 1853 he would serve in the Burmese War and was present at the operations against the Rebel Chief Mong Goung Gye. He would be appointed a Captain in 1858, and a Major in 1863, before undergoing the hardships of the Bhootan campaign during 1864-65 whilst serving with the 3rd Goorkha Regiment.
Paterson would later see service as a Staff Officer with the Kandahar column in the campaign in Afghanistan and retired with the rank of the Major General. He would marry in 1880, Ann Moore MacKay (a widow, formerly Ann Moore Campbell). She died in 1895 and Paterson died in Edinburgh in July 1899, aged 74 years. He had served in India for 24 years and had never been tried by court martial or a court of enquiry.
He had missed the Indian Mutiny as he was home on leave for a total of twenty months during the period the conflict was ongoing.
