Well, I think that is somewhat better than the group shown originally, whilst certainly not representative of the regiments war, in my opinion, at least, it is a very fine, yet tragic group, so typical of the period, sadly, the world had gone mad, so many men like the recipient had to pay the awful price as a direct result, I think while that plaque is only a tiny, perhaps for some, insignificant , memorial, it remains a very pleasing one and certainly as a collector, I think it would be rather difficult to ever better, the disadvantage, however, remains the absent AVM.
quote="djb" post=63777]
Pictures courtesy of Dominic Winter
QSA (2) CC SA02 (Lieut: Visct: T.U.C. Northland. Coldstream Guards.),
1914 Star (Lieut: Viscount Northland. C. Gds.),
British War Medal (Capt. Viscount Northland.)
QSA dress miniature award
Great War bronze Memorial Plaque (Thomas Uchter Caulfield Viscount Northland),
Viscount Thomas Caulfield Knox (1882-1915) was the son of Uchter John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly and Hon. Lord Northland was born in Dungannon, Northern Ireland and lived at Northland House, Dungannon. He was educated at Eton and then at the Military College Sandhurst. Lord Northland joined the Coldstream Guards in 1900 and served in South Africa fighting the Boers. He acted as Aide-de-Camp to his father who was the Governor of New Zealand (1897-1904). He rengaged for service with the regiment on the outbreak of WWI (Captain). He took a very active interest in the Ulster Volunteer Force and was a most enthusiastic and popular officer. He was chiefly instrumental in organising and training the 4th (Dungannon) Battalion of the Tyrone Regiment (U.V.F.) which numbered 2500 men for which Lord Northland was the commanding officer of the battalion. He was also an enthusiastic Orange man, and was elected the Deputy Grand Master of the County Tyrone Grand Orange Lodge and District Master of Killyman District Orange Lodge. Lord Northland was serving with the 2nd Battalion at Cuinchy, near La Bassee on 1 February 1915 when he was killed in action having been shot in the head by a sniper and died immediately. A memorial service was held in Dungannon with all shops and businesses being closed for the occasion. Lord Northland is buried in Cuinchy Communal Cemetery, France. (A photo of his grave included in the lot).
Extracts from his diary
28 September 1914 "When morning came one of our groups got left in the open as the fog rose rapidly. Snipers got all three men, but one crawled in. Something had to be done and a volunteer, Dobson, crawled out and found 1 dead and the other severely wounded. It was a risky and Dobson recommended for the V.C"
21 October 1914
"I dashed up to the firing line opposite where Iay down - which unfortunately was in the exposed part where the 1st supporting half-platoon had laid. The firing now became general and we could see no Germans as the hedge protected them from view. - I tried to control the fire as much as possible calling out for 3 rounds distributed on first one section and then another, of the fence. Then a man four off me was hit in the face and started to groan and then a man to my right was slightly hit and tried to crawl off. I thought he was shamming and told him if he did not come back at once I would shoot him myself ...".
Sold Thursday for £2,450.[/quote]