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Pictures courtesy of Spink

DSO VR;
QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. T. H. C. Nunn. 2/R. W. Kent. Regt), minor official correction to rank;
1914-15 Star (Major T. H. C. Nunn. R. W. Kent R.);
British War and Victory Medals, with MID (Major T. H. C. Nunn.),

Spink say 2 DSOs were awarded to the Royal West Kent Regiment for the Boer War, the other example awarded to Captain Buckle resides in the Regimental Museum at Maidstone, Kent.

DSO London Gazette 31 October 1902.

MID London Gazette 29 July 1902, 1 January 1916 & 15 June 1916.

Thomas Henry Clayton Nunn was born on 11 August 1873 in London, the son of The Rev. John Bridges Nunn. Nunn was commissioned in the Glamorgan Artillery Militia on 11 February 1891, transferring to the Royal West Kent Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant on 2 June 1894.

He embarked with the 2nd Battalion landing at Port Elizabeth on 9 April 1900, subsequently being posted to the Mounted Infantry for service in South Africa during which time he was wounded and repatriated home on the P&O troopship Assaye on 10 April 1902. For the campaign he would earn his DSO and the first of his 'mentions'. The recommendation states:

'A most able officer and avuncular adjutant. He has fine tact and industry and would make an excellent staff officer. Has been posted to Egypt as Corps Mounted infantry.'

Nunn had the distinction of commanding the Royal West Kent Regimental detachment which lined the route at Hamilton Place, Piccadilly for Queen Victoria's funeral. His next appointment was Adjutant of the Mounted Infantry School in Egypt from May 1902-May 1905. He was Brigade Major, Southern Mounted Infantry Brigade, Southern Command when the Great War was declared, landing in France in March 1915. Advanced to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 3 June 1916, he was a home-based staff officer initially with the 46th Division and later the 58th Division before commanding a Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment in France from June-August 1917.



He later commanded the 4th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment from 19 April-12 May 1918 during which time he was wounded in the Nieppe Forest. Twice 'mentioned', his final appointment was commanding the Royal West Kent Regimental depot in late 1920, being retired on 8 December 1920.

In 1902, he married firstly Aileen Sybil Tatham, daughter of Major John Tatham, RHA who he divorced in May 1922.



In October 1924 after the much-publicised and no doubt embarrassing divorce from his first wife, he married Aline Mary Nancy Lilias Hill-Whitson, the daughter of Colonel Thomas Hill-Whitson 14th Hussars. His first wife, Aileen Sybil Tatham, subsequently married Commander Basil Richard Poe, Royal Navy, the man she was having an affair with.

Relocating to Blairgowrie, Scotland with Aline, he managed the Parkhill Fruit Farm from 1925-36, living at Parkhill, Blairgowrie, now a nursing home.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the old soldier returned to the fold. An obituary in the Blairgowrie Advertiser recalls:

'Nunn joined the Local Defence Volunteers on inception in May 1940, later the Home Guard and for the first month acted as Section Leader at Blairgowrie. In June 1940 he was given the post of section commander for the eastern district of Perthshire. He relinquished his post in August 1941 through ill health and was presented with a silver salver.

He was devoted to racing and hunting and had a reputation as a point-to-point rider in the English shires. Before the outbreak of the war Nunn was a member of the Strathtay Aero club and had almost completed his training as an A pilot, quite a feat at the age of 67.

A man of outstanding ability and distinctive personality he was highly esteemed by all those who came into touch with him and will be greatly missed.'

The Colonel died suddenly at Blairgowrie on 25 September 1944.

Two of the three DSO groups sold at Spink last week.

The group to Major M A Foster, 4th Somerset Light Infantry, sold for a hammer price of £1,400.

The group to Colonel G E Tuson, 16th Lancers, sold for a hammer price of £8,000.

The group to Colonel T H C Nunn, RWKR, did not sell.

The CB, CMG, Boer War DSO, MVO group to Major R Scott-Kett, Grenadier Gauards, is here

Picture courtesy of Spink

OBE,1st Type, HM 1918;
DSOVR;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Capt: A. F. Owen-Lewis, D.S.O., York. R.);
KSA (2) (Capt. A. F. Owen-Lewis. D.S.O. York Rgt.);
British War and Victory Medals with MID (Lt. Col. A. F. Owen-Lewis.)

OBE. London Gazette 14 June 1918.

DSO London Gazette 27 September 1901.

Arthur Francis Owen-Lewis was born at Trimleston House, Old Merrion on 6 August 1868, the son of Henry and Margret Owen-Lewis of 52 Cranley Gardens and Inniskeen, County Monaghan. His father was Deputy Lieutenant of Monaghan and MP for County Carlow, his mother's father was William Henry, Chief Inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary.

He was commissioned with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment on 22 January 1887. Transferring to a Line Regiment in 1889 he joined the Royal Scots and was advanced Lieutenant with them on 28 July 1892. Appointed Adjutant of the 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on 1 July 1898 Owen-Lewis sailed with them to Malta in 1900 before proceeding to South Africa.

Entering the war on 10 February 1900 he was involved with operations in Cape Colony, South of the Orange River, Orange Free State and Transvaal from March-29 November 1900. This likely includes a stiff action at Luckhoff 28 November October 1900 which the 6th Battalion was involved with against Commandant Hertzog.

The Boer's followed their usual tactic of occupying a line of ridges before the British positions and took five hours of rifle and artillery fire. It was clear that the only option was going to be a direct assault into heavy rifle fire, the Battalion performed very well and earned the praise of their commander for the action.

Before joining operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony from 30 November. During this time he was appointed a District Commandant, being 'mentioned' for his services (London Gazette 10 September 1901). The Battalion lost a total of 18 other ranks to enemy action and disease over the course of the war.

Appointed the Governor of Mountjoy Prison at some stage after the war Owen-Lewis retired in 1904 and was awarded the Honorary rank of Major on 7 January 1907. He was later appointed a Prisoner Inspector by the General Prisons Board for Ireland. On the outbreak of the Great War he returned to the colours with the rank of Captain in the Reserve of Officers, being appointed Staff Officer Grade 3.

Owen-Lewis was further advanced GSO Grade 2 on 28 April 1916, while serving as Major. He is noted as serving with Irish Command and Assistant Quartermaster General in France being twice 'mentioned' during this time (London Gazette 25 January 1917, 20 May 1918). His MIC notes the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Retiring again after the war Owen-Lewis died at 4 Barkstone Gardens, Kensington on 22 December 1926. Upon his death the Sheffield Daily Telegraph noted that he was the founder of the Army Officer's Art Society. Tragically some fifteen years after his death his wife, Kathleen, burned to death in a fire at her flat in Seaford.

The OBE DSO group to Lt Col Owen-Lewis sold for a hammer price of GBP 2,100.

Picture courtesy of Morton and Eden

[ DSO VR];
Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Capt. J. L. J. Conry. D.S.O. Conn: Rang:), engraved;
[ KSA (2) ];
[ Sudan (1) Nyima ]

DSO London Gazette: 27 September 1901 ‘in recognition of services during the operations in South Africa’

MID London Gazette: 8 February and 10 September 1901, and 29 July 1902.

James Lionel Joyce Conry (1873-1914) of Mount Jessop, Longford, Ireland, was born on 16 November 1873, the son of Staff Surgeon Thomas Conry RN, and joined the Connaught Rangers on 21 October 1893. Promoted to Lieutenant on 1 March 1897, he served in the Boer War and saw action (receiving numerous mentions in the regimental history ‘The Connaught Rangers is the Boer War 1899-1902’), taking part in the Relief of Ladysmith, including the actions at Colenso and Spion Kop; was slightly wounded at ‘Hart’s Hill’ on the Tugela Heights, and was also slightly wounded a second time on 14 July 1901 during the Battle of Zuurvlakte. Promoted to Captain on 21 May 1901, he was invested with his DSO by the King 21 October 1902.

He served as Adjutant to the 1st Battalion between February 1903 and February 1906, after which he joined the Egyptian Army, serving in the Sudan in 1908.

He was promoted Major and placed in command of the Gedaref Arab Battalion, and during this time took part in ‘big game hunting’ in the region, but was killed in action at Wad Hadi, in Kassala Province, near the Atbara River on 3 March 1914, while leading the pursuit of an outlaw and his ‘band of brigands’.

A memorial was erected in his honour at Mannamead School, Devon.

A short obituary in ‘The Illustrated London News’ of 14 March, 1914, states clearly, concerning the citation for his DSO, that: ‘Major Conry served with great distinction in the South African War, and received the DSO for his gallant action at Colenso, when he volunteered to carry a message under heavy fire. On another occasion he rescued an ambulance and several men, who had been captured, from a Boer camp at night.’ M&E state these details are also confirmed in the regimental history.