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Egypt Medal, 1882 reverse, 1 clasp, TEL-EL-KEBIR reverse (officially engraved ‘LIEUT. J.H. ASPINWALL, 7 D.G.’); Queen’s South Africa Medal, 5 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902 (officially engraved ‘Lt: Col: J.H. ASPINWALL, 3/Dgn: Gds:’); Khedive's Star 1882-1891, dated 1882. 1st heavily pitted by the Khedive's Star.

Lieutenant Colonel James Henry Aspinwall
3rd Dragoon Guards, late 5th and 7th Dragoon Guards

James Henry (Harry) Aspinwall was born on 1 November 1856 in Paddington, London, the second son of James Leigh Aspinwall, Esq. He attended the Harlow School with his older brother Charles before being commissioned in the militia as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Cornwall Rangers on 23 February 1876, promoted to Lieutenant on the samw day. Aspinwall was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards on 2 March 1878 and promoted Lieutenant on 22 March 1879.

The 7th Dragoon Guards deployed to Egypt in August 1882 to participate in the campaign to suppress the insurrection of Egyptian nationals against the Khedive. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Brigade, along with the 4th Dragoon Guards and three squadrons of the Household Cavalry.

Aspinwall’s first task of battle occurred on August 22nd when the British attacked a rebel force occupying a railway station at Mahsameh. The infantry dislodged the defenders, who then were ridden down by the 4th and 7th Dragoon Guards. Although only a minor engagement, the regiment suffered its first casualties, with one officer and five men wounded.

The Egyptians attacked the British position at Kassassin Lock on August 28th but this assault was beaten back. With a force of 4,000 Egyptians firing on the British at dusk, the 1st Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier Baker Russell were ordered to charge. The full moon was shining brightly above the desert when the Brigade, led by the Life Guards, attacked and overran the enemy’s position. Celebrated as the “Moonlight Charge of the Household Cavalry”, the 7th Dragoon Guards charged only after the three Household Cavalry squadrons had struck. The regiment suffered one officer killed and three men wounded during this assault.

Aspinwall also participated in the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir (13 September 1882). Advancing 13 miles at night, Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley’s troops attacked at 4:55 AM, with the battle ending by 5:30 AM. The 1st Cavalry Brigade was positioned at the far right flank and did not participate in the main assault. Instead, they attacked fleeing enemy troops, suffering no casualties in the process. Thoroughly successful, total British casualties were only 57 killed and 382 wounded.

Anxious to force an enemy surrender, Wolseley ordered his cavalry and mounted infantry on a forced march to Cairo. Aspinwall participated in this last action that ended the war on 14 September.

Promoted to Captain on 26 August 1884, Aspinwall transferred to the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards on 12 May 1886 where he served as their Adjutant from 22 December 1886 to 21 December 1890. He then served as the Adjutant of 2nd Yeomanry Brigade from 1 June 1893 to 1 June 1898, being promoted to Major on 11 September 1895. By the late Victorian era, the appointment of adjutant was seen as an important step on the path to promotion. Aspinwall was being groomed for higher rank.

On 17 October 1892, Aspinwall married the Hon. Ermine Mary Katherine Madocks, granddaughter of Field Marshal Lord Napier at St James, Paddington, London. They had no children.

While still serving as the 2nd Yeomanry Brigade’s adjutant, Aspinwall transferred to the 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards on 22 January 1898. He briefly joined his new regiment but with the outbreak of the Boer War, Aspinwall was ordered to Argentina to purchase horses. He arrived in Buenos Aires on 7 November 1899 after a 21-day voyage. While there, Aspinwall purchased 15,000 horses for the war effort before sailing home on 24 April 1900.

Aspinwall was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 10 March 1900 and assumed command of the 3rd Dragoon Guards upon his return. Although its establishment was increased to 883 all ranks in preparation for overseas deployment, the regiment was needed to quell civil unrest in Ireland, and it was not until December 1900 that the 3rd Dragoon Guards received orders to sail for South Africa.

The 3rd Dragoon Guards were assigned to the 1st Cavalry Brigade upon their arrival, taking part in two successful actions at Naupoort and Sluis, where they rescued a column from an attack by a force of 2000 Boers. They then were assigned to an independent column under the command of Colonel (later Field Marshal) Edmond Allenby, which engaged the Boers almost daily. The goal was to pin down the Boers long enough for the infantry to arrive, but they managed to escape nearly intact every day.

This continued until September 1901 when the 3rd Dragoon Guards were ordered to Zululand in an attempt to capture Louis Botha. However, he eluded them and all the 3rd Dragoon Guards had to show for their exertions were 200 men sick with fever.

Returning to a brigade commanded by Colonel (later General) Beauvoir De Lisle, the 3rd Dragoon Guards spent the last few months of the war chasing after Boers, occasionally capturing a few, but more often than not coming up empty-handed.

The 3rd Dragoon Guards were almost continuously on the move from the time they landed until the end of the war in May 1902. In addition to casualties of hundreds of men sick and wounded, the regiment lost 2 officers and 61 other ranks killed.

In his own way, Aspinwall became the regiment’s last casualty. He became ill during the last few months of the war and was shipped home, landing on 22 May 1902. Aspinwall never recovered. He was placed on half-pay on 11 October 1902 before dying prematurely on 30 January 1904 at age 47.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Major H. Mercer, 3/Drgn: Gds.);
British War Medal 1914-20 (Bt. Col. H. Mercer.);
Jubilee 1897, silver, unnamed, mounted as worn

Herbert Mercer was born at Sandling Place, Maidstone, Kent, and was educated at Harrow and Cambridge. He was commissioned into the 3rd Dragoon Guards in 1884; served in the South African War in 1901 and 1902, taking part in operations in the Transvaal in May and July 1901; in Orange River Colony February 1901 to 31 May 1902; on the Zululand Frontier of Natal in September and October 1901; and in Cape Colony in February 1901. He was Mentioned in Despatches, and awarded the Queen’s medal with 5 clasps. He completed to command regiment in 1908, retiring that same year. Mercer served in (Northern) Ireland during the Great War as a Security Officer (entitled to BWM only); he was also a Unionist Member of Parliament for the Sudbury Division of West Suffolk 1922-23. He died on 8 February 1944.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

CBE (Military, 1st);
DSO VR;
East and West Africa 1887 (1) Niger 1897 (Lieut. A. J. Arnold. 3/Hussars);
QSA (1) Rhodesia (Lt. Colonel A. J. Arnold. 3/Drgn: Gds:);
British War Medal 1914-20 (Bt. Col. A. J. Arnold);
Royal Niger Company Medal 1886 (1) Nigeria 1886-1897, silver issue (Brevet Lt-Col. A. J. Arnold D.S.O.)

Noonan's say only 36 known British army recipients of the rare Royal Niger Company medal in silver. The medal was awarded to Africans in bronze with clasp ‘Nigeria’ and numbered on the edge.

The only DSO awarded for the ‘Niger Sudan Campaign 1897’.

Alfred James Arnold was born in Manchester on 10 April 1866, third son of Alfred Rr Arnold, and Durnvilia, daughter of W. J. Taaffe, County Dublin. He was educated at a private school, and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and originally enlisted into the 5th Dragoon Guards in 1886. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant, 3rd Hussars, in 1893, and joined the Royal Niger Constabulary in 1894. He commanded the same from 1895 to 1899 and commanded troops throughout the Niger Sudan Campaign operations of 1895-96, including the battles of Egbon, Bida and Ilorin in 1897, being mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 11 June 1897) promoted to Captain and Brevet Major. He received the Medal and clasp, and was created a Companion of the DSO LG 15 June 1897): “Alfred James Arnold, Lieutenant, 3rd Hussars, commanding the Forces of the Royal Niger Company; In recognition of services during the Niger Sudan Campaign.”

The Galloping Third by Hector Bolitho records:

‘When the regiment returned to Aldershot, in May 1895, Lieutenant Chaworth-Musters took his detachment, with their wigs and costumes and ancient matchlocks, to the Royal Tournament at the Agricultural Hall in Islington. Eighteen months later, this 'most promising' young officer, 'an excellent rider, and a good sportsman', was leading the mounted troops of the Royal Niger Company, during one of the little wars waged by the European Powers in the 'scramble for Africa'. In this instance, the enemy was the powerful Mahommedan emir of Nupe, 350 miles up the Niger. The 3rd Hussars deserve some credit for the success of the expedition: another of their officers, Major A. J. Arnold, was in command of the 500 Hausas who defeated upwards of 20,000 of the emir's troops at Bida, on January 26, 1897, and then marched to Illorin, where all the district submitted to the authority of the Company. The journals of the time recall the wild outburst of joy among the negroes who had thus been ‘secured from slave-raiding’. Major Arnold received the DSO: Lieutenant Chaworth-Musters, who had been ‘foremost in setting an example to the native levies’, was unfortunately ‘stricken down with fever’ and he died on the ship that was bringing him home.’

Arnold became Captain, 3rd Dragoon Guards, on 3 March 1898, and served on the Niger in 1899, on the Expedition to Siama, being promoted to Major and given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel, 8 July 1899. For his services in the Transvaal War of 1901 he was mentioned in Despatches on 7 March 1899, and received the Medal with clasp. He was given the Brevet of Colonel on 8 July 1905. Colonel Arnold retired on 14 November 1906. He was ‘Inspector of Exploitation for the Portuguese Chartered Company at Beira, Mozambique in East Africa, 1899-1913, receiving an annual salary of £1500 from the Mozambique government, whilst drawing no pay as an officer of the British Army. During the Great War he commanded the 20th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, at home, 1914-15, and the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, at Gibraltar from August 1915, being mentioned for services during the war in 1918, and created Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1919. The British War Medal is confirmed as his sole entitlement for the Great War. Colonel Arnold was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

The 1897 Niger Sudan DSO group to Lt Col Arnold sold for a hammer price of GBP 7,000. Total GBP 9,016. R 200,120. AUD 16,850. NZD 18,640. CAD 15,560. USD 11,350. EUR 10,370