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It is the Spink auction today so it will be interesting to see what happens with the scarf.

The buyer just secured this for a hammer price of £13,000.

That is a lot less than I expected........

M.

Hi everybody

I bought the Kingsley medals from Wallis&Wallis in June 1988. There was no research with the group but there but the relevant catalogue entry mentioned “DCM for action at Spion Kop, London Gazette 8 Feb 1901”. This was only partly correct, as the award was for gallantry on 21 Feb 1900 at Thabanyama in the build-up to the final action at Spion Kop.

Some years later it was pointed out to me by a Forum member, Justin Davies, that Kingsley was one of the recipients of Queen Victoria’s eight crocheted Scarves. This, obviously, placed the group in a different class and I started gathering information on this unusual Royal “award”.
During a visit to the Queen’s Regimental Museum in Guildford, Surrey in the early 1990’s I was allowed to handle and inspect the Queen’s Scarf awarded to ColorSgt Ferret. I then decided to have a copy “Queen’s Scarf” crocheted to put with Kingsley’s DCM trio.
Kingsley’s replica Scarf is based on photos, measurements and sketches kindly provided by the Queen’s Regimental Museum in Guildford; the New Zealand Army Museum in Waiouru (Tpr Coutts, New Zealand Mounted Infantry) and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa (Pte Thompson, Royal Canadian Regt).

The original photo of Kingsley wearing his Queen’s Scarf after he received it at Standerton in August 1900 was sent to me by Nicholas Riall. It was a duplicate from the extensive Boer War photo-archive of his grandfather, Lieut M B B Riall, West Yorkshire Regiment.
Nicholas Riall published the archive in 2000 under the title “Boer War. The Letters, Diaries and Photographs of Malcolm Riall from the War in South Africa 1899-1902”.
Lieut Riall’s diary entry for 7 August 1900 read: “CO’s parade 9 am. Queen’s muffler presented to Colour Sergeant Kingsley by the CO. Took photo of Kingsley by tin hut”

Capt Ryall’s QSA appeared on a Dixon’s List in April 1995 and, fortunately, I was quick enough with my telephone call to secure and add it in the tray next to Kingsley’s medals. The photo of Captain Ryall was traced by Justin Davies in the Royal Archives.
Although the Scarf is a replica, the additional material makes it one of my best, if not the best, Boer War DCM groups.
Henk

I can see why, Henk!

OMG That's absolutely fantastic......

Mike