A good Waterloo Medal 1815, original clip and ring suspension awarded to Private William May, 11th Regiment of Light Dragoons who was present with Captain Jenkins’ Troop at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June 1815 and would later form part of Wellington’s escort into Paris on 7th July 1815 being bivouacked in the Champs Elysees. He would later go on to serve in India and would likely be present at Bhurtpoor but died in hospital in Cawnpore in the last quarter of 1826 thus not living long enough to claim an Army of India Medal.
Waterloo Medal 1815; original clip and ring suspension; (WILLIAM MAY, 11TH REG. LIGHT DRAGOONS.)
Condition: edge-bruise at 9 o’clock, Very Fine
William May enlisted on 26th February 1806, receiving a bounty of £13-8-0d and £4-7-0 being paid to the party bringing him and for attesting.
He would see service as a Private with Captain Jenkins Troop, 11th Light Dragoons at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June 1815.
The Regiment arrived too late to take part in the Battle of Quatre Bras on 16th June 1815, but still suffered a few casualties in fights in the surrounding area, and during the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June 1815 the 11th Light Dragoons lost one officer and 11 men killed, 4 officers and 34 men wounded, and 23 men missing, out of an original strength of 357 men. The 11th Light Dragoons then formed part of Wellington’s escort into Paris on 7th July, and were bivouacked in the Champs Elysees.
He would go on to see service in India and muster rolls would indicate that he was present at Bhurtpoor, but died at Cawnpore in Hospital in the period 25th September to 25th December 1826.
Given his enlistment date he would likely have been entitled to a Military General Service Medal and an Army of India Medal, clasp Bhurtpoor, but did not live long enough to claim it.
