We are one of Britain's foremost public auctioneers of Medals and Militaria. Our six sales each year contain medal groups and individual awards from early and Victorian campaigns, the Boer War and the 2 World Wars, as well as foreign medals.

Public auctions of GB and world coins and banknotes, medals and militaria, toys and die-cast models and model railways are held six times a year. The dates of our 2010 sales are October 13th and December 8th.

Our next general public auction of Medals will be held at the Court House, Warwick, on Wednesday the 13th October, starting at 12 noon. The online catalogue will be available approximately 3 weeks before the sale. To view the online catalogue, once it is uploaded, and place bids on items in the sale click here. To download a catalogue (without illustrations) click here.

The sales take place at the Court House, Jury Street, Warwick, in the ballroom, which is on the first floor. The building has a lift. The entrance to the building is in Castle Street and the nearest car park is in New Street. The nearest railway station is Warwick Town and the nearest major international airport is Birmingham. For directions please visit our How to Find Us page.

Public viewing for all of our auctions is held at our own premises, the sales being too large to transport to the auction venue. Account settlement and lot allocation takes place progressively at our premises whilst the auction continues, so as soon as the section which interests you has been knocked down, you can pay and collect your lots without waiting for the end of the sale.

Public viewing for this sale is available at our offices on the following dates:

• Friday 8th October, 09.00 – 17.00
• Monday 11th October, 09.00 – 17.00
• Tuesday 12th October, 09.00 - 17.00
• Wednesday 13th October, 08.00 onwards

There is no need to attend an auction in person, as commission bids can be placed in advance of the sale via our online facility, or by telephone, mail, fax or e-mail. For further details please visit our Online Catalogue.

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Unique and extremely rare Royal Humane Society Police Medal group to WO2 and Police Constable Rob McNeill

The Royal Humane Society Police Medal group to Warrant Officer Class 2 and Police Constable Robert Geoffrey McNeill Royal Military Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary will be offered in Warwick & Warwick’s auction on Wednesday 13th October 2010.

Robert Geoffrey McNeill enlisted in the Royal Military Police in Preston on the 18th May 1982. He served in Germany from October 1983 to October 1985, Northern Ireland to November 1987, Hong Kong to December 1989. He was discharged in the rank of Sergeant on 19th September 1991. His Testimonial on discharge from the Regular Army states: “Sgt McNeill is a first rate policeman. During his service in HM Forces he has been employed on investigations and operational tasks involving the movement and control of large numbers of vehicles and troops. On his promotion to Sgt he has been responsible for a four man investigation team during which his knowledge of police duties and his ability to mange the team were evident.”

He joined the Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Territorial Army on discharge from the Regular Army. On the 22nd July 2001 while on routine duty in Peterborough in company with PC Dave Dudley, they responded to a call for assistance at a fire in a first floor flat in Gladstone Street as a result of an arson attack. This action resulted in the award of the RHS Bronze Medal to both Constables that was awarded on the 13th November 2001 for:

“It was resolved unanimously that the bronze medal of the society is hereby awarded to Police Constable Robert Geoffrey McNeill, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, who at grave personal risk saved the lives of two men who were trapped by a fierce fire blocking their front door at a house in Gladstone Street, Peterborough on 22nd July 2001.”

Subsequently they were also both awarded the RHS Police Medal, a new award only introduced in 2000 to honour the most outstanding act of heroism by a police officer during the preceding year, on the 7th January 2003 for:

“It was resolved unanimously that the Police Medal of the society be hereby awarded to Police Constable Robert Geoffrey McNeill whose rescue of two men from a burning house on 22nd July 2001 at Peterborough was the case of greatest police gallantry considered by the committee in the year 2002.”

In 2003 he was the only serving Cambridgeshire police officer to serve in Iraq with the Territorials being mobilised from February to August 2003 and then returning in December 2003 for a second tour as a firearms instructor based in Al-Zubayr. He was presented his Iraq Medal by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire Hugh Duberly.

He retired from the Police in December 2006 after 15 years service. The group is being sold on behalf of the recipient and has never before been on the market.

The full medal details are Royal Humane Society Police Medal (silver gilt), Royal Humane Society small bronze successful Medal, 1962 GSM Northern Ireland clasp, 2004 Iraq Medal 19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003 clasp, 2007 Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal, 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal and Volunteer Reserves Service Medal to 24625656 SSgt R G McNeil AGC (RMP) (PC 2002 on RHS Police, PC 22 Jul 2001 on RHS bronze, Cpl RMP on GSM, Rob McNeill on Reconstruction) half court mounted as worn. Sold with a wide range of supporting documents including Regular Army discharge certificate, Police Certificate of Service 1991-2006, Police Declaration on joining in 1991, TA Certificate of Mobilisation Feb-Aug 2003 for OP TELIC, 2003 Warwick Police IPU Basic Firearms Course certificate, various photos in uniform some wearing medals, mostly Iraq, many newspaper cuttings with photos with regard to RHS awards and Iraq, copies of RHS award certificates, confidential reports etc.

Unique World War I Lake Tanganyika Naval Expedition Distinguished Service Order group to Commander G.B. Spicer-Simson R.N.

The WWI Lake Tanganyika Naval Expedition Distinguished Service Order group to Commander Geoffrey Basil Spicer-Simson achieved considerable interest when offered in our auction on Wednesday 11th August 2010. Estimated at £25,000, the final realisation was £40,250, including the buyer’s premium.

Geoffrey Basil Spicer Simson was born in Hobart in 1876 and joined the Royal Navy in 1889. He served in the Mediterranean, Pacific and Home Fleets and in 1901 he served in the North Borneo Boundary Commission.

He served in China in HMS Waterwitch, a wooden hydrographic vessel and Spicer Simson’s China Medal was awarded for service on this ship as a Lieutenant, with a total of 80 medals awarded to the ship. He later conducted the first triangulated survey of the Yangtze River from Ichang upwards in 1905-08 on HMS Widgeon and the lot comes with a 4 page letter dated 2nd October 1906 detailing the survey work to be conducted.

There is also a 1908 newspaper cutting giving some experience of the conditions:

Taking measurements at those places consisted of a series of mountaineering feats carried out with unswerving patience and courage. Again at other places the towering cliffs made it impossible to arrive at a desired point; . . . With occasional delays, owing to exceptionally bad weather, an average speed of five miles per day was made. Chungking was reached on June 1, and the party had a little holiday after their hard work. The total distance from Ichang to Chungking was fixed at 345 nautical miles. . . . . Eng Lieut Black passed through Shanghai last week on his way home and Lieut Spicer Simson will follow on board the RMS Empress of China. Permission has been given to the two officers to spend their foreign service leave in Canada, in consideration of the difficult work they have just completed. Accompanying the lot is a photo album of his time in China with 109 photos of all aspects of the trip most with written descriptions.

From 1911-14 he was the Director of a Survey of the Gambia River on HMCS Rose with a further photo album of with 158 photos of Gambia most with written descriptions.

At the start of WWI he was in command of HMS Niger, a torpedo gunboat converted to a minesweeper that was torpedoed and sunk near Deal in 1914 by U-12. He then served ashore until he was given the task to organise and lead the now famous Lake Tanganyika Naval Expedition.

Commander Spicer-Simson was the commander of the Lake Tanganyika Naval Expedition and the following report was published in the London Gazette dated 13th July 1917, “In April 1915, a scheme was approved by the Admiralty for depriving the Germans of the command which they had hitherto held, by means of three small armed vessels, on Lake Tanganyika. The plan was to send out from England to Cape Town, and thence by rail, road and river to the Lake, two motor boats of a speed and armament which would outclass those of the German vessels. The two boats, with a small Expeditionary Force under the command of Commander G. Spicer Simson, R.N., arrived at Cape Town towards the end of June. By December 23rd the “Mimi” and the “Toutou”, as the boats were named, had been successfully launched on the Lake, and three days later the first action was fought.

2. Notwithstanding the precautions that were taken to keep the expedition a secret, it is difficult to believe that the enemy received no warning of its dispatch. They probably heard of it, but refused to take it seriously. And certainly it must have seemed to them, at first sight, a harebrained enterprise. After being landed at Cape Town the boats had to be taken 2,300 miles by train, via Bulawayo and Livingstone, to the railhead North of Elizabethville in the Belgian Congo. Next followed 150 miles of haulage, by atrocious roads, over country varying in altitude from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. Then another journey on trucks over a short section of railway. Then the boats were floated 400 miles down the Lualaba River under their own power for part of the journey, and for the rest on lighters. Shoals and rocks abounded, and barrels had to be lashed under the boats to reduce their draught. The final stage of the journey was by rail again to the small Belgian harbour of Lukuga, about half way up the western shore of the Lake.

3. Commander Spicer Simson’s reports of his journey to Lake Tanganyika constitute a fine record of courage and perseverance. The following is an extract from the report in which he describes the cross-country portion of the journey: - “I desire to call to your attention the excellent work done by the officers and men of the Expedition who were on the road with me. They have cheerfully worked under the most trying conditions of heat always, rain occasionally, and thick dust on most occasions. The first and last of these conditions were particularly hard to bear on account of the shortness of water which was experienced. Washing, and even drinking water, was voluntarily given up for use in the boilers of the traction engines in order that the progress of the Expedition should not be delayed. Only those who have had to work without shade in the thick dust raised by the engines under a tropical sun, with the added discomforts of nothing to drink and nothing to wash in, can realise what determination is necessary to maintain the necessary energy to overcome the great difficulties which were encountered on the road. It was, in the opinion of all competent judges who knew the road, sheer madness to attempt to take traction engines alone over it, and more so to try and tow the boats by this means, or any other. I wish to bring to your notice the excellent work done by Sub-Lieutenant A. Dudley, R.N.V.R., who was in charge of the transport. It is mainly due to his exertions that the transport of the boats over the road was safely accomplished.”

4. The first encounter with the enemy took place on December 26th. At 9 a.m. the German gunboat “Kingani”, a vessel of 30 or 40 tons armed with one gun was sighted about seven miles distant from Lukuga steaming south, and the Mimi and the Toutou immediately set out to attack her. The enemy having no gun aft, the Mimi attacked her from astern, and, having got the range, opened fire with high explosive shell from her 3-pounder Hotchkiss. The first shell struck the Kingani’s gun-shield, killing the two men at the gun and the Captain. After a few more shots the remainder of the crew surrendered, and the Kingani was taken into harbour in a sinking condition. She was soon repaired. A 12-pounder gun was mounted on her, and, as H.M.S. Fifi, she proved a valuable addition to the British flotilla.

5. This left the enemy with two ships, the Graf von Gotzen, a vessel of 400-500 tons carrying one 4 inch and two smaller guns, and the Hedwig von Wissman a gunboat of about the same size as the captured one. On February 9th 1916, the Hedwig von Wissman was attacked by the Fifi and Mimi and sunk after a chase and running fight which lasted for three hours. The result was largely due to the skilful manoeuvring of the two British vessels. The Mimi kept astern of the enemy and out of range of his after gun, causing him to tack from side to side in order to bring his foremost gun to bear, and thus delaying him until the Fifi could get within range. Finally a high explosive shell from the Fifi destroyed the enemy’s engines. Before she sank, the Germans abandoned their ship, and all except two Europeans and three natives, who had been killed, were picked up by the Fifi and Mimi.

6. It would have been satisfactory if the third and largest of the German ships could have been accounted for by the British flotilla, but she did not risk an engagement. After being bombed by a Belgian aeroplane, she was scuttled by the Germans in Kigoma harbour, on the eastern shore of the Lake.

7. So ended Germany’s command of Tanganyika. Apart from the material loss inflicted on the enemy, the success of the Naval Expedition did much to enhance British prestige among the natives, not only in the immediate neighbourhood of the Lake, but in the northern districts of Rhodesia and in adjacent German territory. The German supremacy of the Lake had for years being recognised as an established fact, and its total destruction within a few months of the arrival of the Expedition afforded opportune and striking evidence of British power. There then followed a list of decorations with Spicer Simson being awarded the DSO and special promotion to Commander, there were also 3 DSCs and 12 DSMs awarded to Expedition members.

On his return from East Africa he was appointed Staff Officer in charge of the Colonial Section, Intelligence Division on 26th December 1916. In 1919 he was the Official Interpreter of the First International Hydrographic Conference, served as Secretary General International Hydrographic Bureau 1921-37, he retired to Canada and later died in 1947.

The full medal details are Distinguished Service Order, 1900 China War Medal no clasp, 1914-15 star trio with MID oakleaf, Belgian Order of the Crown Commander’s neck badge, Belgian Croix de Guerre with 3 Palm Leaves and Monaco Order of St Charles Commander’s neck badge to Commr G.B. Spicer-Simson R.N. (Lieut G.B.S. Simson H.M.S. Waterwitch on China) very fine to extremely fine, first 6 swing mounted as worn (top bar for DSO loose but present) with matching miniatures swing mounted as worn. With an outstanding array of personal papers, photographs, newspaper cuttings, invitations, presentation pieces etc including stunning three quarter length framed oil on canvas portrait in full uniform by Tremayne Lark 116cm x 71 cm (frame size 143 cm x 96 cm), purpose made felt lined metal tin with name plate on lid containing naval cocked hat made by Gieve & Sons, gold braid rank epaulettes, naval dress belt and sword hanger, 4 pairs white gloves, stiff collar and 2 handkerchiefs with S monogram all in very good condition, DSO bestowal document, diploma for Belgian Order of the Crown, 1927 Buckingham Palace letter for permission to wear Monaco Order of St Charles, a box file on Lake Tanganyika with 70+ photos most annotated on the back, press cuttings, typed account of Expedition, hand drawn maps of actions with times and positions of all ships, lectures he gave, letters etc, a 25cm silver presentation plate with an engraving of one of the gunboats in the centre from Thornycroft & Co after his talk on the Expedition, a large presentation photo album from Thorneycroft with various photos of Mimi and Toutou including trials marked secret, design drawings etc, a scrap book of press cuttings and photos of the Expedition, large Union Jack flag, Vice-Admiral flag thought to have been flown in East Africa to confuse the Germans as to the size of the British naval contingent, photo album and letters of Yangtze survey, photo album and letters from Gambia, a large silver cigarette box lid engraved “Presented to the Official Interpreter of the International Hydrographic Conference London 1919 Captain G.B. Spicer-Simson D.S.O. Royal Navy, by the visiting delegates of the Conference as a token of gratitude for his good services, an album mostly post war of photos, invitations, passes etc from London and Europe, book La Campagne du Tanganyika by Moulaert with hand written notes throughout etc.

World War I Western Front Distinguished Service Order group to Maj Gen H.K. Bethell the youngest British Divisional Commander of the 20th century

The WWI Distinguished Service Order group to Major General Hugh Keppel Bethell realised £3,335 in our auction on Wednesday 16th June 2010.

2nd Lieutenant Hugh Keppel Bethell was seconded for service with the Indian Army from the Royal Garrison Artillery on 20th March 1904. He was promoted to Captain while serving with 7th Gurkha Rifles on 24th December 1911. He returned from service with the Indian Army and joined the 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars on the 14th February 1914. He spent WWI on the Western Front, promoted to Temp Major while commanding 1st Northamptons on the 16th December 1915, Temp Lt Col on the 3rd June 1916, Temp Brig Gen commanding 74th Brigade on the 16th October 1916, CMG awarded 3rd June 1918, Temp Major General commanding 66th Divison in 1918 making him the youngest British Divisional Commander of the 20th century, CB awarded 1918/19.

The award of the DSO while a Temp Brigadier General was announced in the London Gazette dated 26th September 1917:

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst commanding an attack upon a hostile position. It was a very hard fight, and it was due to his fine leadership that the attack was a complete success. By his energy and personal example he very greatly inspired all ranks of his brigade.”

The 74th Brigade were heavily involved in 1917 in the Battles of Messines and Pilkem Ridge near Ypres and the DSO is likely to be awarded for one of these actions.

After the war he was appointed Military Attache to Washington 1919-23, awarded the MVO 1st December 1919, Commander 2nd Rhine Brigade BAOR 1924-28, Brigadier Northern Command India 1928-30, Commander Presidency and Assam District 1930-34, placed on half pay 30 Dec 1934 and died in 1947.

The full size medal details are WWI Distinguished Service Order, 1914-15 star trio with MID oak leaf, 1911 Delhi Durbar Medal, 1935 Jubilee Medal, US Distinguished Service Medal, French 1914-17 Croix de Guerre with palm leaf, Italian War Merit Cross and Belgian Croix de Guerre with palm leaf to Maj Gen H.K. Bethell (Capt on star).

The miniature group offered separately are CB, CMG and MVO plus the above listed full size medals. Both sets of medals are half court mounted as worn in Garrards’ cases with initials H.K.B. on tops of lids.

World War II North Africa DCM group to Pte J Hudson 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry

The WWII Distinguished Conduct Medal group to 3660867 Pte J. Hudson, 6th Durham Light Infantry, was offered in the Warwick & Warwick auction held on Wednesday 14th April 2010. Estimated at £4,500, it realised £5,635.

The Mareth Line was an old pre-war French defensive position in Southern Tunisia running some 25 miles inland from the sea, which the Germans had reinforced and strengthened. The Allied attacks on the Line started on 19th March and after a week’s heavy fighting, the German and Italian forces were finally forced to withdraw by the 28th March allowing the Allied forces to press on into southern Tunisia.

The award of the DCM was announced in the London Gazette dated 17th June 1943 “On the night of 21st / 22nd March, during the 151 Brigade attack on the Mareth defences, Private Hudson was with “C” Company 6th D.L.I. On sighting an enemy machine gun post he immediately led a group of men forward with fixed bayonets and charged the position. His rifle bolt was damaged and the rifle could not be fired, but he still led on this party relying solely on the use of his bayonet. He succeeded in capturing the post, killing many of the enemy personally. This action of Private Hudson’s enabled the rest of his Company to move forward onto the position. Before leading the charge, his Company Commander had been seriously wounded beside him. He showed outstanding courage and complete disregard for his own safety.”

The medal group was offered, on behalf of the family, together with a photo of the soldier in uniform and a copy of the original recommendation citation signed by Maj Gen 50th Div, Lt Gen 30th Corps and General Montgomery as GOC 8th Army. The CO of the 6th Durham LI only recommended Pte Hudson for an immediate award of the Military Medal, but as it passed up the chain it was upgraded to a DCM based on the strength of the citation.

World War I Western Front DCM & MM group to Sgt A E Baker 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

The WWI Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal group to Sergeant Albert E Baker, 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, realised £3,335 in the April 2010.

The award of the Military Medal was announced in the London Gazette dated 22nd August 1916 and awarded to Baker in the rank of Lance Corporal.

The award of the DCM was announced in the London Gazettes dated 22nd October 1917 and 26th January 1918. This was a late award with a copy of unit history confirming the award was for the Somme attack on Pearl Alley and Contalmaison on 7th July 1916 when the battalion suffered heavy casualties.

The DCM was awarded while he was attached to the 24th Light Trench Mortar Battery “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at a critical moment. When trench mortar detachments had become split up and disorganised owing to enemy shell-fire, he found himself in charge of two gun detachments and a carrying party. He promptly organised the men, and resolutely led them to the first and second objectives, where he materially assisted the infantry in opening fire upon the enemy’s machine guns.”

The Regimental history records:

By that time the end had come. At about 2 p.m. the enemy was heavily reinforced and commenced a powerful attack. The German artillery pounded the ruins held by the Worcestershire, a fierce machine-gun fire was directed on to the village from the untaken trenches on both flanks, and strong bombing parties of the enemy worked down from the higher ground. Fighting stubbornly from house to house, the survivors of the three companies were forced back. The position was clearly untenable but there was no thought of surrender. A desperate struggle raged round the ruins of the church, where a party of the Worcestershire, inspired by two brave subalterns, 2nd Lieut A.W. Issac and 2nd Lieut W.B. Burns, fought on till all were overwhelmed. The resistance was continued until ammunition was exhausted; then the survivors of the three companies fell back through the barrage to Pearl Alley. One small party remained in the ruins. Sergeant Bonner and his bombers had become isolated. After disposing of the enemy close at hand, they clung to their ground till darkness fell, hoping for a renewed attack. After dark they made their way back from the village and rejoined the Battalion. (Sergt Bonner was awarded the DCM. The DCM was also awarded to Sergt H. Beniams and to Corpl A.E. Baker (attached 24th Trench Mortar Battery) for gallantry during the day).

China and Afghanistan Wars pair to Major General the Honourable Alexander Stewart, son of the 9th Earl of Galloway

The Second China War and Afghanistan Medal pair to Major General the Honourable Alexander Stewart was sold in our auction on Wednesday 10th February 2010 and realised £1,610.

Alexander Stewart was born on 8th November 1838, the third son of the 9th Earl of Galloway Randolph Stewart and his wife Lady Harriet Blanche Somerset, the daughter of the 6th Duke of Beaufort. He purchased his commission of Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 21st June 1856.

In the Second China War (Opium War) he was present at Sinho, Tangku, actions near Tangchow and the surrender of Pekin in 1860 serving with Staff of the 2nd Brigade under Brigadier General Sutton. He obtained the rank of Captain on 6th July 1867 and Major on 22nd September 1875,

By 1879 he was serving with 1/C Battery Royal Horse Artillery in Afghanistan and was present at the Battle of Futtehabad on 2nd April 1879. A force of about 1000 British and Indian soldiers under Brigadier General Gough fought some 5000 Khugiani tribesmen. The only British artillery present were 4 RHA guns under the command of Major Stewart and were fully employed during the engagement bombarding the Khugiani in their fortified positions. By then disengaging and retiring the guns and their cavalry escort, it prompted the Khugiani to leave their defensive positions to pursue the apparently retreating British. This was Gough’s plan and as the Khugianis chased the mounted troops they rushed passed the hidden infantry who poured a withering fire into the Afghans exposed flank. British casualties were light, but the Khugianis were thought to have lost 300 plus killed and over 800 wounded. Lieutenant Walter Hamilton of the Guide’s Cavalry won the Victoria Cross during the battle for rescuing a dismounted trooper. Major Alexander Stewart was also present in the engagement at and on the Gara Heights near Kam Dakka on 22nd April 1879. He was mentioned in dispatches and granted Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in the London Gazette dated 21st November 1879 for his efforts in Afghanistan

He attained the rank of Colonel on 22nd November 1883 and Major General on 29th December 1883 and subsequently died aged 57 on 6th January 1896.

The title of Earl of Galloway was created in 1623 for Sir Alexander Stewart who was a favorite of James VI (James I of England). The Earl also holds the subsidiary titles of Lord Garlies (created 1607) and Baron Stewart of Garlies (1796). Major General the Honourable Alexander Stewart never became Earl and died before his two older brothers who became the 10th and 11th Earls in turn.

The full medal details are 1861 Second China War Medal 2 clasps Taku Forts 1860, Pekin 1860 (Ord Offr Lt Hon 2nd Brigade/Staff) and 1881 Afghanistan Medal no clasp (Maj & Bt Lt Col Hon 1/C.R.H.A.) mounted in a purpose made contemporary travel display case.

Charge of the Light Brigade group to Private Charles Watson 17th Lancers

The famous charge of The Light Brigade took place during the Battle of Balaklava on the 25th October 1854. The lead up to the attack and who issued what orders to whom are a typical Victorian web of intrigue. The end result was that Lord Cardigan led some 670 cavalrymen of The Light Brigade along what became known as the “Valley of Death”. The valley was dominated on either side by the Fedyukhin and Causeway Heights. These heights were manned by some 20 Russian infantry battalions with over 50 artillery pieces, with further batteries in a redoubt at the end of the valley.

The 17th Lancers were on the left of the front rank of the charge with the 13th Light Dragoons on the right. The other regiments in the following ranks were the 4th Light Dragoons, 8th and 11th Hussars. They were exposed to a withering barrage of musket fire and cannon balls from 3 sides for over a mile as they charged down the valley. The charge succeeded in reaching the redoubt and driving the Russians from the position. However once the impetus of the charge was lost and heavily outnumbered, the survivors were forced to retire back down the same valley subject to a further hail of fire depleting their ranks even further.

The total casualties were approximately 156 killed or missing and 122 wounded, with over 330 horses lost. It seems remarkable that the toll was not even higher considering the volume of fire that they faced. The 17th Lancers suffered the highest number of casualties with 24 killed and 37 wounded.

Pte Watson was 1 of only 4 men from the regiment along with Regimental Sergeant Major Charles Wooden, Sergeants John Shearingham and James Nunnerly to be awarded the French Medaille Militaire for the Crimean War, given with the citation “Alma, Balaklava and Inkermann, and were never absent from their duties.”

Lummis, Brighton and Sewell all confirm he rode in the charge. Roy Dutton in Forgotten Heroes states he enlisted in 1846 and died in Secunderabad on 21st January 1864, possibly from cholera. He also notes that a single Crimea Medal named to Watson was sold by Glendinning’s in 1923, 1928, 1935 and 1936 but never with the Indian Mutiny Medal.

Private Charles Watson's medals were offered in our December 2009 auction, on behalf of the family. They had never before been on the market and realised £11,500. The details of the group are as follows: 1854 Crimea Medal 4 clasps Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol engraved in a running script style C. Watson 17th Lancers, 1855 Turkish Crimea Medal (Sardinia) un-named as issued, 1858 Indian Mutiny no clasp impressed Pte Chas Watson, 17th Lancers.