General Service Medal

The General Service Medal was introduced only in 1847; the first recipients were veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, which had ended in 1815.  This is the General Service Medal awarded to Peter Newnham (1793-1877); it bears seven clasps for the seven Peninsular War battles in which he fought, in one of which he was severely wounded.  After having run away from home aged 13 to join the Regiment, he served in the Fifth for 29 years.  In later life he received a veteran’s pension from the Chelsea Hospital; he died aged 84.