Campaign Groups and Pairs

An important Crimea and Indian Mutiny group of four awarded to Major J. C. Ross Grove, 42nd Royal Highlanders, much of whose ‘active service correspondence’ survives in the Regimental Museum: it was he who supported the mortally wounded Brigadier Adrian Hope in his arms during the disastrous attack against Fort Rooyah in April 1858, a selfless act that nearly resulted in his own demise, with both his bonnet and kilt being shot through Crimea 1854-56, 3 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Sebastopol, the reverse of each privately engraved ‘20th. September 1854’, ‘25th October 1854’, and ‘8th September 1855’ respectively (Capt. J. C. Ross Grove, 42d Royal Highlanders) contemporary engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Lucknow, the reverse privately engraved ‘14th March 1858’ (Capt. J. C. Ross Grove, 42nd Royal Highlanders) ‘C. Ross’ privately corrected; Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, Fifth Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, the reverse with contemporary and privately engraved inscription, ‘Captain J. C. Ross Grove, 42nd Royal Highlanders’, enamel damage to Crescent suspension; Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian die, a contemporary tailor’s copy by ‘J.B.’ (Captain J. C. Ross Grove, 42nd Royal Highlanders) contemporary engraved naming, all fitted with contemporary top silver riband bars or buckles and housed in a fitted leather case, contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine (4) £2,400-£2,800 --- Joseph Charles Ross Grove was commissioned into the Black Watch as an Ensign in September 1851, and was advanced to Lieutenant in May 1854. As verified by relevant sources, and his own surviving correspondence, he served throughout the Eastern Campaign of 1854-55, and participated in the Kertch and Yenikale expeditions, in addition to the battles of Alma and Balaklava. The following account, taken from a letter home, describes his experiences at Alma on 20 September 1854: ‘Meanwhile, the First Division (our own), deployed on our side of the river and were ordered to lie down to avoid the shell and shot which came like hail amongst us. Many of us had narrow escapes but only three men were knocked over then. In half an hour after we deployed we got the order to advance. We crossed the river and got into a vineyard. The whistling of the bullets was perfectly astonishing. The thickness of the foliage, the river, half a dozen dykes to cross and five or six houses broke us completely. I am now speaking of my cause. We formed line as quickly as possible under a most fearful fire of shot, shell, grape and canister, and musketry. How we escaped I know not. Immediately we got into order we opened fire and continued advancing up a tremendous steep brae so rapidly that their artillery could not get our range - we were only two hundred yards from full regiments and a battery of seven guns! So the heavy shot now went over our heads ... We now came up with the 79th which were, I am sorry to say, wavering. We broke through them - cheering, they gave way to us, saying “Let them go they are mad.” We were now with fixed bayonets and were ordered to cease firing. The Duke and Sir Colin Campbell were with our Colonel riding in front, waving their swords. Oh it was splendidly exciting and we cheered again and again, and then went laterally and determinedly up the hill as quick as we could march. It was too steep to double. The fire was as heavy as ever. When we came within 50 yards of the top of the hill we cheered. They gave us a parting volley and scuttled down the other side. We then got to the top of the heights. We were the first regiment of the Army who gained the position!’ It would seem Ross Grove’s obvious enthusiasm added to his reputation in the ranks, a contention supported by the following extract from the memoirs of a fellow Black Watch veteran: ‘There was another duty to perform, which was no joke. That was to take down the shot and shell to the batteries through the open ground, exposed to all the fire that came out of Sebastopol, as we could not drag the waggon in the trenches. I was twice on that duty - once under Captain M’Leod, now Sir John, and once under Captain Ross Grove. I will say there could not have been better officers for that duty. They were cool and collected, and both nights there was a tremendous fire kept up, and the Russians were firing what was called “happy family” - that was a cluster of small shell that were sent in one gun together.’ Ross Grove himself refers to at least one near squeak in the trenches before Sebastopol in a letter home dated 31 July 1855: ‘On Thurday afternoon a shell burst in the air almost 100 yards from me. I saw a fragment coming straight at me. I considered for a moment and determined not to move. If I had done so I would have lost my left arm. The piece in descending smacked a man’s thigh and I calculate would have caught me about the elbow. We are too much used to these things now for them to affect us. It was amputated next day and he is doing well ... after a beef broth pudding and a glass of port and some brandy and water I enjoyed bed tremendously.’ Again before Sebastopol, in the final operations against the Redan, we find Ross Grove experiencing further close shaves: ‘The minute after we got to our ground I had my men posted. We were so close we had to crawl on our bellies and speak in a whisper without daring to lift a head or move a joint, for about 200 of the enemy’s riflemen discovered us and kept up a fearful fire of musketry on us. I can only attribute my preservation to the Almighty. I got up for one moment and immediately a ball struck where I had been. This continued up to lunch, when all of a sudden the firing ceased and we came to the conclusion that something was going to be done. A thought came over me that the enemy had evacuated the place and it might be a grand thing to enter the Redan by oneself and return to Sir Colin and say it was ours. It had hardly entered my brain before there was a rumbling in the earth and then a fearful explosion followed by others in quick succession. We were all nearly killed. The stones from the batteries falling round us like hail. The enemy at midday saved us the trouble of storming her. The bitter cold that night I shall never forget ...’ For his services in the Crimea Ross Grove was awarded the Fifth Class of the Ottoman Order of Medjidie and was advanced to Captain. Seeing further service during the Great Sepoy Mutiny he witnessed extensive active service, not just in the engagements at Cawnpore and elsewhere which led to the fall of Lucknow - when he was present at the assault on the Martiniere and on “Bank’s Bungalow” - but afterwards in several of the “mopping up” operations fought by the Highland Brigade under Brigadier Adrian Hope, not least the attack on Fort Rooyah in March 1858. Ross Grove’s part in this action is mentioned in several relevant accounts, the unenvious task of commanding the storming party largely falling on his shoulders, in his capacity as C.O. of No. 8 Company: ‘The rebels were prepared to evacuate the fort, and they had intended to fire a few rounds and retreat. But, when they saw the British general sending his infantry in skirmishing order against the face which could be defended, they changed their minds and determined to show fight. Meanwhile, Walpole had ridden up to a company of the 42nd that was in advance, commanded by Captain Ross Grove, and had directed that officer to extend and pass through the wooded ground in his front; then to close on the fort, hold the gate, and prevent the enemy from escaping. Another company o...