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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA, brooch mounted, disc only, (9748 Pte. F. Dale, Cldstm: Gds:), contact marks, very fine

Spink say F Dale enlisted with the Coldstream Guards at Birmingham on 9 March 1894 and was posted to South Africa but seriously wounded at the Battle of Modder River by the 'bursting of shell' on 2 January 1900.

Entitled to Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein and SA02.

From the next Morton and Eden sale.

[ CB CVO DSO MC ];
[ QSA (6) ];
KSA (2) (Lieut. H. M. Pryce-Jones. Cld. Gds.) officially engraved;
British War and Victory Medals with MID;
Jubilee Medal, 1935, unnamed as issued;

CB (Civil): London Gazette:1 January 1943
CVO: London Gazette: 27 June 1952
MVO: London Gazette: 17 December 1918
DSO: London Gazette: 4 June 1917 – ‘for distinguished service in the field’
MC: London Gazette: 17 July 1915

Colonel Henry Morris Pryce-Jones MVO DSO MC was born in 1878, the son of the Welsh textile magnate and Conservative M.P. Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones (founder of the Royal Welsh Warehouse or R.W.W.) and Eleanor, Lady Pryce-Jones. Educated at Eton College, and then at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant with the Coldstream Guards on 9 August 1899, serving soon after during the Boer War in South Africa and twice mentioned in despatches. He was promoted to Captain on 16 February 1909 and then served during the Great War, being awarded the MC and DSO (neither present) while D.A.A.G. to the H.Q. of the Inspector General of Communication (MIC refers), also receiving multiple mentions in despatches. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel (Reserve of Officers) on retired pay on 21 April 1920.

Despite his retirement from the Regular Army, he took up a Territorial Army position with the 2nd County of London Regiment, and as H.M. Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms with the Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel on 12 May 1926. Having attained the age limit of liability to recall, he was retired from the Reserve of Officers on 17 February 1933, and was made an officer (‘Harbinger’) of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms on 1 July 1938.

While too old for active service in WW2, he took up the post of Secretary of the Territorial Army and Air Force Association of the County of London, for which he was made CB on 1 January 1943. Later, he received a further promotion within the Royal Victorian Order, being was made CVO (presumably for his work with H.M. Bodyguard) on 21 June 1952.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (2642 Pte. A. Fell, Coldstm: Gds:);
KSA (2) (2642 Pte. A. Fell. Coldstream Guards.)

Pictures courtesy of Spink

QSA (2) Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (Lieut: Visct: T. U. C. Northland. Coldstream Guards.)
1914 Star (Lieut: Viscount Northland C. Gds.);
British War and Victory Medals (Capt. Viscount Northland.);

Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Thomas Uchter Caulfield Viscount Northland)

Thomas Uchter Caulfield Knox, Viscount Northland was born on 13 June 1882 at Northland House, Dungannon, the son of Uchter John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly and Hon. Constance Elizabeth Caulfeild. Educated at Eton College, he was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1900 and served with them during the Boer War (Medal & 2 clasps). He thence went out to New Zealand during the Governor-Generalship of his father, to act as Aide-de-Camp to the Earl from 1903-04. He left the Coldstream Guards in 1906, subsequently joining the Yorkshire Dragoons and being added to the Reserve of Officers in 1907.

Having been married in 1912, he took a keen interest in the Ulster Volunteer Force. Northland was chiefly instrumental in organising and training the 4th (Dungannon) Battalion of the Tyrone Regiment, which numbered 2,500 some men. He was also Commanding Officer of the Battalion.

An enthusiastic Orangeman, on the death of H. W. Chambre in 1914 he had been elected Deputy Grand Master of the County Tyrone Grand Orange Lodge and District Master of Killyman District Orange Lodge; he also held the office of Deputy Grand Master of the Orange Institution of Ireland.

With the outbreak of the Great War, he rejoined the Coldstream Guards and served in France from 11 September 1914 but continued the call to arms back in Ireland, writing in the Tyrone Courier:

'Ulster Volunteer Force, 4th Dungannon Battalion. Your King and Country needs you now. Enlist at once for the duration of the war at the Inniskilling Fusiliers Depot, Omagh. No one should hesitate. No personal or political consideration should stop you. We will deal with politics later. I personally appeal to all members of the Dungannon Battalion to join at once and prove the loyalty of Ulster. Enlist today. Northland, Lieutenant, 4th Coldstream Guards.’

Having shared in the hot actions of the remainder of 1914, several diary entries included:

'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.'

He was with the 2nd Battalion by early 1915 and was killed in action on 1 February 1915, the Tyrone Courier again:

'The sad news of Captain The Hon. Viscount Northland, of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, who was killed in action at Cuinchy, near La Bassee on Monday 1st inst., was heard of with general regret throughout Ulster, and particularly in Dungannon and district, where he was well known as an officer of the Ulster Volunteer Force. Although Viscount Northland’s death took place on Monday, the sad news only reached the London residence of his father, the Earl of Ranfurly, on Wednesday night, and it was immediately telegraphed to Northland House, Dungannon, where he was Earl in attendance. The news was broken by his medical adviser, Dr F. C. Mann, who was accompanied by a friend of the family, Mr. W. H Darragh, J.P. His Lordship was almost prostrated at the news, more especially as he had heard from Lord Northland a few days ago, stating that he was quite well and hoped to get over to London for a short visit to see his family and relatives, but it is understood he expressed his satisfaction in the fact that his gallant son had fallen in the noble cause of King and Country. When the intelligence became generally known in Dungannon on Thursday, widespread regret was expressed by all classes of the community in the town and country, amongst whom he was a well-known and popular figure. The church bells of the parish were solemnly tolled. The country folk, to whom the late Lord Northland was intimately known, expressed the sincerest sorrow of his death, as well as deep sympathy with the Earl and Countess and the bereaved widow and family. The relatives of the late Lord Northland have been informed his Lordship did not die of wounds, as was at first reported, but was shot through the head and died immediately.'

A memorial service was held at St Anne’s Parish Church, Dungannon, in which a procession of some 1,500 soldiers turned out in his memory. He was buried in the Cuinchy Communal Cemetery and an impressive marble memorial raised in Dungannon.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (6) Belmont, Modder River, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast (8019 Pte. C. Harbord, Cldstm: Cds:);
[ KSA (2) ]

George Harbord was born at St. Heigh, Norwich in 1871 and worked as a Butcher prior to enlisting with the Coldstream Guards at Newcastle on 1 March 1890. Seeing home service until 1 March 1894 when he was posted to the Army Reserve, Habrod was recalled to the colours on the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. Joining 2nd Battalion on 9 October 1899 he entered the war in South Africa on 21 October 1899, in time to join Colville's Guards Brigade in the push to relieve Kimberly.

They faced heavy fighting during the advance, being on the extreme right of the British line at the Battle of Belmont they took Razor Back and Sugar Loaf Hills in face of Boer rifle fire. They were again on the right flank at Modder River, spending all day on the firing line under gruelling attack. The Battalion suffered 69 casualties at the end of the day. Finally they supported the Gordons during the failed advance at Magersfontein. The advance ground to a halt and the Battalion was not engaged again until the British breakthrough on the Tugela.

Harbord went on to see further heavy fighting when the Brigade was engaged at Diamond Hill under General Pole-Carew; fending off a Boer counter-attack towards Pretoria. His final action was at Belfast on 27 August 1900 after which he was engaged with British columns in the Johannesburg area. Harbord left South Africa on 20 July 1902 and was transferred to 3rd Battalion on 21 July. He was discharged on the same day.

Picture courtesy of the London Medal Company

QSA (6) Belmont, Modder River, Dreifontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast; (1443 PTE. E. TIGHE. CLDSTM: GDS:);
KSA (2) (1443 PTE. E. TIGHE. COLDSTREAM GUARDS.)

Together with C.G. brass collar tab and Coldstream Guards brass cap badge.

Attested on 11th February 1898. Discharged medically unfit on 6th February 1905.