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The forthcoming Lockdales auction contains a few items of Boer War interest. For example, an unusually mounted SJAB group to Arthur Hargreaves:



Group mounted as worn to 1228 Ordly Arthur Hargreaves St John Ambulance Brigade (Nelson Corps) (BWM named M.15082 A Hargreaves J.R.A. RN). Medals - St John Ambulance Brigade Medal for South Africa, QSA with bars CC/OFS (loose from medal), BWM. Comes with research, served as an Ambulance Drive with the RN in WW1. Born Bacup, Lancashire (3) GVF and scarce. Estimate: £500 - £550

The DoL group to Lt Macnaughten, Royal Scots Fusiliers, has re-appeared:



IGS 1895 bars Punjab Frontier 1897-98 and Tirah 1897-98, QSA 4x bars Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, OFS, Transvaal, Lieut Hon Mr P. Macnaughten 1st Bn Ryl Scots Fus / Lieut. Hon. M.P.Macnaughten R.Scots Fus both correctly named and a scarce combination the Defence of Ladysmith we understand is unique to the Regiment. Also entitled to Turkish Order of the Medjidie 3rd class, Comes with minor research, superb condition. Estimate: £1,600 - £1,800

This isn't a terribly great piece of research. Macnaughten's DoL is shown on WO100/180p2 and he is the only person on that page with the clasp DoL. Most of the 2nd RSF received RoL & TH. However on page 3 there is listed 2nd Lt A G Bruce with the same clasp combination as Macnaughten.

When DNW auctioned the pair on 2004, the description was far better:

Maurice Patrick Macnaghten was born on 2 March 1874, the fifth son of Sir Edward Macnaghten, 4th Baronet and Baron Macnaghten. He was commissioned into the Army from the Militia as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Fusiliers on 6 June 1896 and promoted Lieutenant on 25 August 1898. With the regiment he took part in the operations on the N.W. Frontier of India 1897-98, being present during the operations on the Samana and the action of the Ublan Pass, with the Tirah Expeditionary Force (Medal with two clasps). Macnaghten served in the Boer War, taking part in the operations in Natal 1899, including the action at Lombard’s Kop; present at the defence of Ladysmith, including the action of 6 January 1900 when serving with the Gordon Highlanders; served in the Transvaal west of Pretoria, July - November 1900, including the action at Venterskroon, 7 & 9 August. Also served in various operations in Cape Colony and the Orange Free State, including the action at Ruidam (Medal with four clasps). At the defence of Ladysmith he was attached to the Gordon Highlanders. It is recorded in their Regimental History that as he was engaged to be married he pleased his company no end, when, at ‘stand-to’ one morning, he paraded with a large tartan heart sewn on the seat of his ‘inexpressibles’. Promoted Captain on 6 May 1901 he later served with the Egyptian Army, for which services he was awarded the Order of Medjidie 3rd Class. The object of his ‘tartan heart’s’ desire, Miss Sybil Torbock Graham, he married on 14 October 1912.

David,
I agree with you regarding the differance in catalogue descriptions, but I guess you would expect that of DNW to always be better, I suppose the smart thing for Lockdales to have done would be to just more or less copy the DNW description for their catalogue.
Frank

Frank,

With the values of many medals and this pair too, I would have hoped that the researchers would have put a bit more effort into cataloguing the medals. To say the medal is possibly unique to the regiment is to promote its rarity and I guess I'm just disappointed that they don't confirm that it is unique or strike the comment completely. Are we back to buyer beware territory?

Regards
David

David,
I regret that this is a hobby full of pit falls for the unwary, so buyer beware has always been my policy!
Frank

There is a good range of Boer War photographs and documents in the next Lockdales auction



www.lockdales.com/

It will be a long time crossing that brook!


Picture courtesy of Lockdales