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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, the two date clasps both tailor's copies (Lieut: G. E. Rodwell. Rl: Fus:)

G. E. Rodwell was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers and served in South Africa during the Boer War with the 5th Battalion. He resigned his commission on 13 June 1903.

Sold together with a boxed and mounted group of four miniatures, also including a 1914-15 Star Trio.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (7635 Pte. A. Thrift, 2nd. Royal Fus:)

Together with a Royal Fusiliers cap badge and a pair of Royal Fusiliers collar badges.

2nd Battalion. QSA verified on WO100/171p81

Picture courtesy of Dominic Winter

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. N.E. Lloyd. Rl: Fus)

5th Battalion

CC and OFS on WO100/171p201. SA01 and SA02 on WO100/171p250

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (1) Cape Colony (8840 Serjt: - Mr: -Tr: W. B. Luker. Rl. Fus)

William Blackford Luker was born at Tunbridge Wells, Kent in 1875 and enlisted into the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 30 January 1895 with previous trade as that of a Tailor. Strangely he gave his birthplace as Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland. Qualifying as a Master Tailor on 6 December 1900, Luker transferred to the Royal Fusiliers on 31 May 1901 and embarked for South Africa on 16 June 1901.

He was appointed as Sergeant Master Tailor with the 5th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers on 14 July 1901 and he was tried by Court Martial on 13 February 1902 at Ventersburg Road and reduced to Corporal. Transferring again to the 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps on 20 May 1902 he embarked for Malta on 21 September 1902. Promoted Lance-Sergeant there on 6 October 1903 he embarked for England on 22 October 1903.

Posted to the 4th Battalion, on 1 November 1904 with the rank of Corporal, he was deprived of that rank on 4 October 1905. Reverting to the rank of Rifleman on 12 January 1906 at his own request, his two Good Conduct badges were restored.

Luker was finally discharged on 29 January 1907 and died in October 1948 at Barnet, North London.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

[ DCM GV ]
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (8300 Pte. W. Matthews, 2nd. Rl: Fus:) number re-engraved;
KSA (2) (8300 Pte. W. Matthews. Rl: Fusiliers.) initial re-engraved;
[ Great War trio ]
Volunteer Force Long Service Medal, V.R. (Pvt. Matthews. 2nd. V.B. Middx. 1897) engraved naming.

Together with a National Fire Brigades Union Long Servce Medal, silver, with three ‘Five Years’ and one ‘Twenty Years’ clasps, the reverse contemporarily engraved ‘W. Matthews. Fireman’, the edge officially numbered ‘504’

DCM London Gazette 6 September 1915: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and ability from the 25th April to 25th July 1915, during the operations on the Gallipoli Peninsula. During the whole of this period Sergeant Matthews has displayed consistent coolness and courage, frequently under very heavy shell, machine-gun and rifle fire, and has led his platoon with great ability. His fine example and devotion to duty have always afforded the greatest encouragement to all under him’.

MID London Gazette 5 August 1915.

William Henry Matthews was born in Heston, Middlesex, in 1882 and enlisted for the Royal Fusiliers at Cape Town. He served in South Africa during the Boer War, subsequently serving as a Sergeant in the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, and he entered the Balkan theatre of war on 25 April 1915, the day the beaches at Gallipoli were stormed. A Fusilier Brigade consisting of the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers were the first to land on the Peninsula and were to cover the disembarkation of the rest of the 29th Division. The 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers were allotted ‘X’ Beach and were put ashore by lighters from H.M.S. Implacable - the event often referred to as the ‘Implacable Landing’. For his actions on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Sergeant Matthews was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the DCM. He was killed in action there on 5 June 1915 during the Third Battle of Krithia. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey.

William Matthews, a Fireman with the Heston and Isleworth Brigade, Middlesex, was awarded the National Fire Brigades Union Silver Medal numbered 504 for twenty year’s service in 1910.

Sold with copied medal roll extracts, that for the KSA named to ‘8300 H Matthews’ (hence the correction); and other research.

The recipient’s DCM and Great War campaign medals were sold by DNW in December 2007.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (6) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (Lieut. I. G. Sewell. 2/Rl. Fus.) engraved naming;
KSA (2) (Lieut. I. G. Sewell. Rl. Fusrs.) engraved naming;
AGS 1902 (2) N. Nigeria 1903-04, N. Nigeria 1904 (Lieut. I. G. Sewell. Rl. Fus.)

Ivon Govett Sewell was born in Kensington on 16 January 1879, the only son of Frederick John Sewell of The Manor House, Thornborough, Buckinghamshire. Appointed from the Militia as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers 24 January 1899, he witnessed extensive service in South Africa during the Boer War; present at the Relief of Ladysmith, including the action at Colenso, he later joined operations on the Tugela Heights from 14 to 27 February 1900 and the action at Pieter’s Hill which forced the Boers under General Botha back across the Tugela River. Detailed to further operations in Natal from March to June 1900, Sewell was twice Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazettes 8 February 1901 and 10 September 1901), the latter occasion relating to a recommendation from Colonel R. Kekewich of the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire): ‘Was my transport officer for some months. A very reliable and hard working officer who always carried out his duties to my entire satisfaction.’

Transferred to West Africa, attached Northern Nigeria Regiment, Sewell took part in operations from 1903-04 in the Bassa Province against the Okpotos. In 1904 he commanded the expedition against the Kilba Tribe north of Yola, receiving the Africa General Service Medal with two clasps and being twice more Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazettes 5 September 1904 and 24 April 1905). Engaged in further operations in Northern Nigeria in 1906, including the Munshi Affair, Sewell was advanced Captain 4 May 1907 and seconded for service under the Colonial Office on 20 August 1910. Returned to the West Africa Field Force, he died of disease in 1913, his loss ‘deeply deplored by all who knew him’. Aged 34 years, his name is commemorated upon a brass tablet in St. Paul’s Church, Hounslow, London, which was erected by his brother officers.