Military General Service , clasp , Pyrenees, 95th Foot Rifles, a Bridge of Vera casualty 31 August 1813 , discharged in consequence of ‘An amputation of shoulder on account of a wound received at Vera Bridge, 31 August, 1813. The epic action in which 80 of the Rifles under Captain Cadoux whilst very greatly outnumbered, held the important bridge against repeated French assaults until low on ammunition were forced to give. Severe casualties were inflicted on the attackers though Cadoux felled killed by a shot. In addition all the officers, sergeants and well over half of the Riflemen. were killed or wounded

Military General Service , clasp , Pyrenees,

J. Tredway, 95th Foot Rifles

Discharged in consequence of ‘An amputation of shoulder on account of a wound received at Vera Bridge, 31 August, 1813. (as contained in discharge papers

John Tredway

Tredway on medal and medal roll, Treadway on discharge papers. Oone of only 2 single clap Pyrenees to the 95th. Born c. 1784, Hanwell , Middlesex, a baker by trade, Surrey Militia 1808, enl.  95th. 1809.  Disch. 1815, pension of one shilling,  Died Kensington, 1859, aged 77.

The epic action in which 80 of the Rifles of Captain Cadoux’s Company whilst very greatly outnumbered, held the important bridge against repeated French assaults until low on ammunition were forced to give. Severe casualties were inflicted on the attackers though Cadoux felled killed by a shot. In addition all the officers, sergeants and well over half of the Riflemen. were killed or wounded

The bridge at Vera

On the very day that San Sebastian fell to the Allies, 31 August 1813, Marshal Soult made one last desperate attempt to relieve the place. The attempt ended in failure, however, and the relieving troops were ordered to withdraw. Consequently, 10,000 French troops under Vandermaesen pulled back towards Vera and the fords there across the Bidassoa river which they had crossed that morning. Unfortunately for them, the level of the river had risen dramatically and the only way across the river was via the bridge which spanned the Bidassoa at Vera.

However, as they approached it they found their way blocked by Captain Daniel Cadoux and 80 men of the 2/95th Rifles. The French were left with little choice but to attack Cadoux and his small party of men whom the French thought would take little brushing aside. In the event, Cadoux held on for two hours, inflicting 231 casualties on the French including Vandermaesen himself, who was killed. Whilst the fighting was in progress Cadoux sent repeated requests to General Skerrett, acting commander of the Light Division and who was aware of the action, but he did nothing, otherwise the whole of the French division might have been forced to surrender. No support was given to Cadoux and finally the 95th were forced to give way. The brave Cadoux was killed along with sixteen men while all three surviving officers and 43 of his men were wounded. With the withdrawal of the 95th the French were able to gain the safety of the opposite side of the river.

A classic medal. The only other Vera Bridge casualty we are aware of is that to Lieut. Cochran being a Waterloo (crucially parted from his MGS Noonans 2019 c. £16,800 )