India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 1 Clasp: Pegu, awarded to Ensign W.H. Clarke, 26th Madras Native Infantry Regiment, Honourable East India Company Forces, who was present during the Second Burma War of 1852-1853, and died whilst in service on 12th June 1854.
India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 1 Clasp: Pegu; (ENSIGN WM. H. CLARKE. 26TH REGT. M.N.I.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
William Henry Clarke was born on 24th September 1829, the son of Robert Clarke of Lower Tooting, Surrey, and was educated at Sutton Valence near Maidstone, before being educated for the final six months at Barnes in Surrey, he being educated in physical and mathematical studies, and was then recommended for service with the Honourable East India Company from 31st January 1846, this being confirmed after his examination on 29th July 1846, after which he entered Addiscombe College as a Cadet for the 1846 season. He was however then deemed to be insufficiently educated in arithmetic and was put back for four months. Clarke was the reexamined again on 4th December 1846 and this time passed being admitted to Addiscombe from the 1st February 1847. Clarke passed out of Addiscombe as an Ensign on 8th June 1849 and then embarked at Southampton aboard the Ripon Steamer, and travelled out to India on 6th August 1849, being then posted as an Ensign to the 21st Native Infantry Regiment being then posted to duty with the 49th Native Infantry Regiment from 8th March 1850, and then to 26th Madras Native Infantry Regiment from 3rd September 1850 and was subsequently present during the Burma campaign of 1852, in what became known as the Second Burma War and came about due to the unwillingness of the King of Ava to abide by the Treaty of Yendaboo which had been sent up on 24th February 1826 after the first Burma War. the treaty allowed the British trading facilities in the port of Rangoon and ceded several provinces to the Honourable East India Company. The loss of territory was a hard blow to the Burmese and it remained a critical issue in British-Burmese relations. In 1852 violations of the treaty included the molestation of shipping, attacks on British warships, and the alleged ill treatment of British subjects. Attempts to obtain satisfaction failed and war was declared on 2nd April 1852. A squadron under Commodore G. Lambert and an expeditionary force under Major General Henry Godwin were dispatched on 28th March 1852. Fighting was concentrated in the Irrawaddy delta around Rangoon. Martaban was captured on 5th April, Rangoon on 14th April, Bassein on 19th May, Pegu on 4th April, being was then recaptured on the 21st November; Prome on 10th October, and on 20th December the Pegu province was annexed. The situation was further complicated by unrest in the country, led by Myat-Toon, who had his stronghold near Donubyu. At the British capture of Donubyu, Ensign Garnet Wolseley, 80th Foot, especially distinguished himself. By the start of 1853, most of the resistance had ceased and the whole of the Burmese coast from Chittagong down to Rangoon and Pegu passed into the British hands. The war officially ended on 30th June 1853.
Clarke did not live to receive his India General Service Medal with clasp Pegu, he died whilst in service on 12th June 1854, and his medal was sent to and signed for by his brother Henry H. Clarke.
