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An FID DSO from the next Morton and Eden auction



DSO VRI
QSA (2) CC OFS (Capt: J. Q. Dickson, D.S.O., F.I.D.); officially engraved;
KSA (2) (Capt: J. Q. Dickson, D.S.O., F.I.D.); officially engraved;

DSO LG 31 Oct 1902: ‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa’
MID Lord Kitchener’s Despatch in London Gazette, 23.06.1902

John Quayle-Dickson was born 20 November 1860, the son of Major General E.J. Dickson (91st Foot, late 75th) of The Green, Castletown, Isle of Man and Lucy Mylrea Quayle, and elder brother of Graham Joseph and Reginald (see preceding two lots). Educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man, he served in the Boer War initially as a Lieutenant with Nesbitt’s Horse between May and August 1900, but then, presumably having shown talent as a scout and guide, he joined Colonel David Henderson’s Field Intelligence Department in September that year, which recruited largely from the various mounted regiments. As an Intelligence Officer, he would have been attached to a particular column, and given a small team of native scouts for reconnaissance and information gathering. He remained with the F.I.D. until the 22nd of July 1902, when he was discharged, and was awarded the DSO for his services. In this war in particular, the role of scouts and Field Intelligence began to properly be recognised, and sowed the seeds for the eventual development of large-scale Military Intelligence in WWI.

Having picked up some useful language skills, and having come to know his team of native scouts well, Major Dickson was soon after made a member of the South Africa Native Affairs Commission, 1903-5; an Adviser in Native Affairs to the Orange River Colony Government, 1903-9. Considered a ‘haughty old man from the Veldt’ by some, he later took the position of Resident Commissioner to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate between 1909 and 1913. In this role he struggled to strike what was considered an ‘appropriate’ balance between giving genuine support and technical advice to the local Banaban inhabitants concerning the new interest in phosphate mining taking place on the island, and promoting the commercial interests of the Crown and other agents. While Dickson received some strong treatment as detailed in books such as ‘Cinderallas of the Empire’ by Barrie Macdonald for other administrative failures regarding local taxation management of funds, he does appear to have had unusually modern and progressive attitudes towards assisting and protecting the long-term natural and economic interests of the local inhabitants, much to the displeasure of the British Phosphate Commission and the Colonial Office. This point is raised in ‘Consuming Ocean Island’ by K. M. Teaiwa, who writes that both Dickson and his successor E. C. Elliott had ‘challenged the British government and the Company on what they saw as a very raw deal for Banabans.’ Dickson’s concerns appear to have been very well-founded, as legal challenges regarding the wholesale exploitation of the island of Banaba by the BPC would continue well into the 1960s and after.

In the context of these struggles, he was soon after posted to become Colonial Secretary of the Falkland Islands in 1913-14, and was for a time Administrator (essentially Acting Governor), but again ruffled the feathers of local characters of influence in the Falkland Island Volunteers and elsewhere. Returning home during the Great War, he served as Sub-Commandant at the ‘Aliens Detention Centre’ at Knockaloe, Isle of Man, at the rank of Temp. Major, where he eventually relinquished his commission upon demobilisation in 1922, and died in Kent in January 1945. In 1888 he married Annie, daughter of William Hyde, of Grahamstown, and had two daughters. His only son, Captain Edward John Quayle- Dickson M.C., was killed in action in the Great War.

Picture courtesy of Medals of England

An Attractive & Unusual,BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL. Reverse "1896 Rhodesia" Tpr. O.W. BERTRAM. BULAWAYO FIELD FORCE.
& QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 6 clasps with scarce "RHODESIA" clasp. Scout. O.W. BERTRAM. FIELD INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT.

An Unusual, BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA Co. MEDAL. Reverse "1896 Rhodesia" To: Tpr. O.W. BERTRAM. BULAWAYO FIELD FORCE & Q.S.A. 6 clasps with "RHODESIA". Scout O.W. BERTRAM. FIELD INTELLIGENCE DEPt. Our valiant research department actually counted up all the QSA's issued to the members of both the Field Intelligence Dept & The Intelligence Dept. The total is just 686 medals with only the tiny number of TEN Rhodesia Clasps being issued to the two entire departmentsWith copy rolls to QSA . BSACo medal roll is not available.

BSA Co medal is still on it's original silver 'gate' ribbon pin.

"BSACo medal roll is not available" Really?

djb wrote:

Picture courtesy of Medals of England

An Attractive & Unusual,BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL. Reverse "1896 Rhodesia" Tpr. O.W. BERTRAM. BULAWAYO FIELD FORCE.
& QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 6 clasps with scarce "RHODESIA" clasp. Scout. O.W. BERTRAM. FIELD INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT.

An Unusual, BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA Co. MEDAL. Reverse "1896 Rhodesia" To: Tpr. O.W. BERTRAM. BULAWAYO FIELD FORCE & Q.S.A. 6 clasps with "RHODESIA". Scout O.W. BERTRAM. FIELD INTELLIGENCE DEPt. Our valiant research department actually counted up all the QSA's issued to the members of both the Field Intelligence Dept & The Intelligence Dept. The total is just 686 medals with only the tiny number of TEN Rhodesia Clasps being issued to the two entire departmentsWith copy rolls to QSA . BSACo medal roll is not available.

BSA Co medal is still on it's original silver 'gate' ribbon pin.

From the next DNW auction.

A rare Jameson Raider’s British South Africa Company’s 1890-97 Medal awarded to Troop Sergeant-Major St. J. H. Wagstaffe, Bechuanaland Border Police, afterwards a Sergeant in the Matabeleland Relief Force in the 1896 Rebellion and a Guide in the Field Intelligence Department in the Boer War

BSA CM reverse Matabeleland 1893, 1 clasp, Rhodesia 1896 (1250 T. Sergt. Maj. St. J. H. Wagstaffe, B.B. Police)

St. John Henry Wagstaffe was born in Southsea in February 1869, the son of a Paymaster, R.N., and entered the Royal Naval College as a cadet in November 1884. Appointed a Sub. Lieutenant, he appears to have served on the Mediterranean Station prior to being sent home under threat of trial by Court-Martial for theft - in the event insufficient evidence was forthcoming but his career was as good as over, the last entries on his record merely listing ‘on the book’ transfers from one shore establishment to another.

During the Matabele Rebellion he served as a Troop Sergeant-Major in 7 Troop, Bechuanaland Border Police, September to December 1893, including appointments under Major Forbes, Colonel Goold-Adams and Major Wilson of the Shangani Patrol - a drawing of him manning a Maxim in the retreat from the Shangani on 13 November appeared in the Illustrated London News, the caption stating:

‘In action on 13 November 1893, during the retreat from the Shangani - Major Forbes had a brief engagement with the Matabele. The Maxims got into action and the fire was hot for a few minutes. The drawing shows Sergeant Wagstaff operating one of the guns and Walter Howard is attending to Sergeant Pyke’s arm which was later amputated by Dr. Jameson at Inyati. Forbes withdrew his men to the river bank, bringing the Maxims back one at a time.’

Wagstaffe next enrolled in the Mashonaland Mounted Police as a Trooper in May 1894, and during the same month was involved as a defence witness in the infamous theft of gold sovereigns trial of Regina versus Daniel & Wilson, before being amongst those to accompany the famous Jameson Raid as a Trooper - captured by the Boers at Doornkop in the Transvaal in January 1896, he was repatriated to England from Durban aboard the Harlech Castle (list of ex-raiders as passengers in The Times of 22 February 1896 refers).

Returning to Rhodesia that March, he served as a Sergeant in the Maxim Detachment of the Matabeleland Relief Force under Captain Wheeler, until October 1896, and was present in all the engagements fought in the Matobos.

Afterwards a regular in the British South Africa Police, Wagstaffe witnessed further action in the Boer War in ‘B’ Troop, with whom he qualified for the “Rhodesia” clasp; and afterwards as a Guide in the Field Intelligence Department, with whom he qualified for the “Transvaal”, “Orange Free State” and “Relief of Mafeking” clasps;

Picture courtesy of DNW.

QSA (4) CC Rhod OFS Tr (Lieut. B. St. J. Krige. F.I.D.);
KSA (2) (Lieut: B. St. J. Krige. F.I.D.)

I was tempted for a bid on this pair until the price rose. The lot hammered at £550. I would have wanted a Rory-esque biography for that price!