Original British Swagger Stick of Colonel George O’Malley, C.B. 44th Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Waterloo Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. George O’Malley joined the Irish Militia in 1798 and then entered the 13th of Foot in 1800. He was commissioned Lieutenant in 1801. Appointed Major of the 101st Duke of York’s Irish Foot in 1806. Transferred as Major to the 44th Regiment of Foot on April 27th 1815 and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel on June 4th 1815, just a few days before the great Battle of Waterloo.

During the battle where he commanded the 44th of Foot as Brevet Colonel and was wounded twice and had two horses shot from under him. At Quatre Bras seeing Ensign Christie, the Color Bearer of the 44th Foot cut down by a French Lancer and losing the Colors, O’Malley himself confronted the French cavalryman. Colonel O’Malley, after fierce hand-to-hand combat, recovered the Colors and the honor of his Regiment.

He was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath, (C.B.) for his services at Waterloo.

In 1825 he appointed to the command of the 88th Connaught Rangers and the Regiment was posted to Corfu in the Eastern Mediterranean where it remained for ten years. In 1839 he retired with ill health and died in 1843.

This impressive Swagger stick in made of black japanned cane with a heavily gilt top ornamented with laurel leaves. It is engraved:

aCOL. G. O’MALLEY, C.B. CONNAUGHT RANGERS

A lovely item of historical significance that is also accompanied by a letter dated October 12th 1977 from ALAN J. GUY of the NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM attesting to the service of Colonel George O’Malley. This letter is addressed to the collector, one B. S. Thorley who discovered the item mixed in with other items on a Militaria table at an English antique show.

A high quality item owned by a decorated Officer of the Battle of Waterloo offered with research as described.