The Crimea War Awards of Lieut-General Baring who was wounded at the Battle of Alm

 The Crimea War Awards of Lieutenant-General Charles Baring; Coldstream Guards - Crimea Medal, 2 Clasps - ALMA, SEBASTOPOL (CAPTn CHARLES BARING. COLDm GUARDS.); Crimea Medal, 3 Clasps - ALMA, INKERMANN, SEBASTOPOL (LIEUt C. BARING. 1st Bn. COLDm Gds); Turkish Crimea Medal, Sardinian Issue; France: Order of the Legion of Honour, 5th Class Knight's Breast Badge (silver and enamels, silver and gold centre, 40.7 mm x 63.5 mm inclusive of its crown suspension); and Turkey (Ottoman Empire): Order of Medjidie (Mecidiye), 5th Class Breast Badge (silver, with silver, gold and red enamelled centrepiece, gold and red enamelled suspension, maker marked "No. 46 KRETLY PALAIS-ROYAL PARIS" on the reverse cartouche, 52.3 mm x 68.3 mm inclusive of its crescent moon and star suspension). Naming on the two clasp Crimea Medal is engraved in capitals, the three clasp Crimea Medal is genuine but with later (modern) naming engraved in capitals, the Turkish Crimea Medal is un-named as issued. Un-mounted as a group, the latter three with their own individual pinback hangers. The French Order of the Legion of Honour, 5th Class Knight Breast Badge exhibits denting on the obverse centrepiece, enamel loss and chipping on the arms and centrepiece rings on both sides, fine. The other four remain better than very fine.    Footnote: Charles Baring was born on June 26, 1829, the son of Major Henry Bingham Baring and Lady Augusta Brudenell. His mother was the sister of the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854. Baring was educated at Eton and joined the Coldstream Guards as an Ensign and Lieutenant by purchase on July 2, 1847. Six years later, he became a Lieutenant and Captain by purchase on April 29, 1853 and was instructed in the new Minié rifle at the School of Musketry at Hytheon. The Minié ball (bullet) was invented in 1847, with the rifle adopted for it coming in 1849. The bullet was designed to allow rapid muzzle loading of rifles, and was an innovation that brought about the widespread use of the rifle as the main battlefield weapon for individual soldiers. Baring joined his Battalion in 1854 on the way to the Crimea at Malta and it was here that he was employed as a Battalion Instructor on the new weapon. Lieutenant Baring, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards was serving in the Eastern Campaign of 1854 when he was severely wounded by round shot at the Battle of Alma, on September 20, 1854. His left arm was shattered, forcing an amputation of the limb at the socket. He was the only Coldstream Guards officer wounded during the battle, along with twenty-seven of the unit's Privates. He was also mentioned in the London Gazette as having been wounded. In Orlando Norrie's painting of the Coldstream Guards at the Battle of Alma, which is now housed at the National Army Museum at Chelsea, Baring appears as the bearded officer lying in the foreground, wounded. Once he was deemed well enough to travel, he was invalided to England in December 1854, later Mentioned in Despatches on December 12th and made a Brevet Major. Five months later, on May 18, 1855, he was among those presented with their Crimea Medals by Queen Victoria on Horse Guards Parade. Baring returned to the Crimea in June 1855, where he took part in the Siege of Sebastopol, however, he was invalided back to England that Autumn due to fever. By the end of the year, he had become a Lieutenant-Colonel by purchase on December 21, 1855. Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel Baring was awarded the French Legion of Honour, 5th Class Knight Breast Badge, as mentioned in the Supplement to the London Gazette 21996 on Friday, May 1, 1857, page 1574 and as Lieutenant-Colonel, was awarded the Turkish Order of Medjidie (Mecidiye), as mentioned in the Supplement to the London Gazette 22107 on Tuesday, March 2, 1858, page 1254. He married Helen Graham (1835-1914), daughter of the Right Honorable Sir James Robert George Graham, 2nd Bt. and Fanny Callender, on August 25, 1860 and together they had three children: Mabel Baring (1861-1917), Olivia Baring (1863-1887) and Sir Godfrey Baring, 1st Bt. (1871-1957). Baring became Colonel-in-Command of the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards and retired on half-pay, on August 13, 1872, was named Major-General on August 25, 1878 and gained the rank of Honourary Lieutenant-General in the Coldstream Guards on July 1, 1881. He was an avid yachtsman and one of the original council members of the Yacht Racing Association, along with being a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Baring died at Wilton Place in London on February 7, 1890, at the age of 60. (provenance: Morton & Eden, June 2010, Lot 266).