Army of India Medal 1793-1826, short-hyphen reverse, 1 Clasp: Bhurtpoor with officially impressed naming awarded to Private J. Rippingale, 11th Light Dragoons who was present between December 1825 and January 1826 at the siege and capture of the Jat Fortress of Bhurtpoor, with the storming of that place occurring on the 17th to 18th January 1826.
Army of India Medal 1793-1826, short-hyphen reverse, 1 Clasp: Bhurtpoor with officially impressed naming; (J.RIPPINGALE. 11TH LT. DRAGNS.)
Condition: small edge-knick to the reverse rim at 6 o’clock, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine
Provenance: Hayward, October 1970.
James Rippingale was born in Hunstanton, Norfolk and enlisted on 14th May 1821, stating his age as 18 and his trade as a gardener.
He served for 15 years and 8 months in the East Indies during which period he was present between December 1825 and January 1826 at the siege and capture of the Jat fortress of Bharatpur (Bhurtpoor), with the storming of that place occurring on the 17th to 18th January 1826.
Following the suspicious death of Baldeo Singh, the Raja of Bhurtpoor, his fortress was besieged by a 30,000-strong British force under Lord Combermere, recommended by the Duke of Wellington as no 'great genius' but 'the man to take Bhurtpoor'. The 11th Light Dragoons and 16th Lancers formed part of Colonel Sleigh's Cavalry Division, which marched from Meerut on 30th Decembebr 1825. Bhurtpoor had been besieged by a British force twenty years earlier, but the British had foundered against its 8-mile long walls and 150-foot wide, 60-foot deep moat. Keen to avenge the humiliation of 1805, Combermere advanced with a vast siege train. His first act was to seize the city's north-west reservoir, thus preventing the moat from being filled. Birks fought at the siege, and may have been involved in the reservoir's capture. After the citadel was stormed on 18th January 1826, the 11th Light Dragoons vigorously pursued any defenders who escaped. 198 Army of India Medal’s were subsequently awarded with the clasp Bhurtpoor for this action to men of the 11th Light Dragoons.
Having served 17 years and 85 days, James Rippingale was discharged due to a reduction in the regiment. The 11th Light Dragoons had two men killed and eight wounded during the action.
