| Troop Serjeant Major Charles Thompson |
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| Lahore Light Horse and late 9th Bengal Light Cavalry |
Little is known about Charles Thompson. No service papers exist for him and there are no muster rolls extant for the Lahore
Light Horse or the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry. He is shown on the roll for the Scinde Medal (IOR:L/MIL/5/69) as a Band
Corporal with the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry and on the Mutiny roll for the Lahore Light Horse (IOR:L/MIL/5/77) as one of
five Serjeants. The Lucknow clasp for the Mutiny medal is verified as correct by the roll.
Troop Serjeant Major Thompson’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was authorized by GOCC 23 July 1866.
Thompson’s Scinde medal is an official reissue of the one he had lost during the Indian Mutiny. In Memorandum from Major T.
Wright, Officiating Assistant Adjutant General of the Army, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Military
Department, No. 534, dated Calcutta 9 May 1862 (IOR:L/MIL/5/100f93) Troop Serjeant Major Thompson is listed in a
“Nominal Roll of men transferred from Native Corps, to the Lahore Light Horse, who claim Scinde Medals which have been
plundered during the Muitny in 1857, and granted by General Order by the Commander-in-Chief, 21st January 1862.
Certified that Troop Serjeant Major C. Thompson, Lahore Light Horse, and who was formerly in the late 9th Bengal Light
Cavalry, was present at the battles of Meenee and Hyderabad in Scinde in 1843, that he received a Medal for the same, and
that it was lost when the late 9th Bengal Light Cavalry mutinied at Sealkote on the 9th of Jul 1857.”
Signed H. Balmain, Major
Commanding 4th Bengal European Light Cavalry,
Late 9th Bengal Light Cavalry
Thompson’s rank in the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry at the time his original Scinde medal was issued is given as Band Corporal. A
David Thompson is also shown as serving as a Trumpeter with the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry during the Scinde campaign and is
presumably Charles’ brother. Major Wright’s Memorandum was “Forwarded to the Secretary to Government, Military
Department, in view to application being made to the Home Authorities for duplicate Medals of the within description which
are not in store in this Office or in the Mint.”
The Lahore Light Horse was raised during the Indian Mutiny in 1857 to help deal with the desperate need for cavalry troops.
It was disbanded in 1863.
Light Horse or the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry. He is shown on the roll for the Scinde Medal (IOR:L/MIL/5/69) as a Band
Corporal with the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry and on the Mutiny roll for the Lahore Light Horse (IOR:L/MIL/5/77) as one of
five Serjeants. The Lucknow clasp for the Mutiny medal is verified as correct by the roll.
Troop Serjeant Major Thompson’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was authorized by GOCC 23 July 1866.
Thompson’s Scinde medal is an official reissue of the one he had lost during the Indian Mutiny. In Memorandum from Major T.
Wright, Officiating Assistant Adjutant General of the Army, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Military
Department, No. 534, dated Calcutta 9 May 1862 (IOR:L/MIL/5/100f93) Troop Serjeant Major Thompson is listed in a
“Nominal Roll of men transferred from Native Corps, to the Lahore Light Horse, who claim Scinde Medals which have been
plundered during the Muitny in 1857, and granted by General Order by the Commander-in-Chief, 21st January 1862.
Certified that Troop Serjeant Major C. Thompson, Lahore Light Horse, and who was formerly in the late 9th Bengal Light
Cavalry, was present at the battles of Meenee and Hyderabad in Scinde in 1843, that he received a Medal for the same, and
that it was lost when the late 9th Bengal Light Cavalry mutinied at Sealkote on the 9th of Jul 1857.”
Signed H. Balmain, Major
Commanding 4th Bengal European Light Cavalry,
Late 9th Bengal Light Cavalry
Thompson’s rank in the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry at the time his original Scinde medal was issued is given as Band Corporal. A
David Thompson is also shown as serving as a Trumpeter with the 9th Bengal Light Cavalry during the Scinde campaign and is
presumably Charles’ brother. Major Wright’s Memorandum was “Forwarded to the Secretary to Government, Military
Department, in view to application being made to the Home Authorities for duplicate Medals of the within description which
are not in store in this Office or in the Mint.”
The Lahore Light Horse was raised during the Indian Mutiny in 1857 to help deal with the desperate need for cavalry troops.
It was disbanded in 1863.
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Scinde medal, Meeanee, Hyderabad 1843 reverse, officially impressed to 9th Bengal Light Cavalry.
Indian Mutiny medal, clasp for Lucknow, officially impressed as Serjeant, Lahore Light Horse.
H.E.I.C. Long Service and Good Conduct medal (First type with H.E.I.C. arms on obverse), properly engraved in center of
reverse as Troop Serjeant Major, Lahore Light Horse with the date of the authorizing GOCC.
Indian Mutiny medal, clasp for Lucknow, officially impressed as Serjeant, Lahore Light Horse.
H.E.I.C. Long Service and Good Conduct medal (First type with H.E.I.C. arms on obverse), properly engraved in center of
reverse as Troop Serjeant Major, Lahore Light Horse with the date of the authorizing GOCC.
Charles Thompson's original Discharge
Certificate pictured right, is owed by
Steve Kettle, his direct descendant, and
is used with permission. Steve would like
to hear from anyone else researching
Charles Thompson. You can contact Steve
by sending an email through this site by
clicking on this link for Tim and the
email will be forward to Steve.
Certificate pictured right, is owed by
Steve Kettle, his direct descendant, and
is used with permission. Steve would like
to hear from anyone else researching
Charles Thompson. You can contact Steve
by sending an email through this site by
clicking on this link for Tim and the
email will be forward to Steve.